Avoid losing your account via fake "Mailbox Service Notification" emails
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on
What kind of email is "Mailbox Service Notification"?
After reviewing this "Mailbox Service Notification", we determined that it is spam. It claims that there is an important email account update that needs to be implemented. Thus, recipients are lured into a phishing site that targets email log-in credentials.
It must be stressed that the information in this message is false, and this mail is not associated with cPanel or any other legitimate products/services and entities.
"Mailbox Service Notification" email scam overview
The spam email with the subject "cPanel Mail Service Notification" (may vary) informs the recipient that there is a critical mailbox update. The message urges the recipient to complete the upgrade to avoid getting logged out of their account.
It must be emphasized that the claims made by this email are false, and this mail is not associated with the real cPanel or any other genuine service providers and entities.
This spam campaign promotes a phishing site that mimics the recipient's email account sign-in page. Webpages of this kind record information entered into them and send it to cyber criminals. Emails are highly sought, as they tend to include incredibly sensitive information.
What is more, the accounts, services, and platforms registered through a hijacked mail might get stolen as well. To expand upon how the unauthorized access may be abused, scammers can steal account owners' identities (e.g., emails, social networking, messengers, chats, etc.) and request loans or donations from contacts/friends/followers for loans or donations, promote scams, and spread malware by sharing malicious links or files.
Additionally, stolen finance-related accounts (e.g., online banking, e-commerce, money transferring, digital wallets, etc.) can be used to make fraudulent transactions and online purchases.
To summarize, victims of scam mail like "Mailbox Service Notification" can experience severe privacy issues, financial losses, and identity theft.
| Name | "Mailbox Service Notification" phishing email |
| Threat Type | Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud |
| Fake Claim | There is an important security update to the recipient's email account. |
| Disguise | cPanel |
| Symptoms | Unauthorized online purchases, changed online account passwords, identity theft, illegal access of the computer. |
| Distribution methods | Deceptive emails, rogue online pop-up ads, search engine poisoning techniques, misspelled domains. |
| Damage | Loss of sensitive private information, monetary loss, identity theft. |
| Malware Removal (Windows) | To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your computer with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner. |
Phishing spam campaign examples
We have written about countless spam campaigns; "New Salary Changes", "Webmail Validation Notice", and "Email Address Included In The Blacklist" are merely a few of our newest articles on phishing emails.
Commonly targeted information includes log-in credentials, personally identifiable details, and finance-related data. Various scams are promoted through spam, such as phishing, advance fee, technical support, sextortion, refund, lottery, etc. This mail is also used to proliferate all kinds of malware.
Due to how widespread spam mail is and how well-made it can be – we highly recommend approaching incoming emails, PMs/DMs, SMSes, and other messages with caution.
How do spam campaigns infect computers?
Spam campaigns spread malware by distributing malicious files. They can be attached to or linked inside the emails/messages. Virulent files come in various formats, e.g., archives (ZIP, RAR, etc.), executables (.exe, .run, etc.), documents (Microsoft Office, Microsoft OneNote, PDF, etc.), JavaScript, and so forth.
Merely opening an infectious file can be enough to jumpstart malware download/installation. Some formats need additional actions to initiate infection chains. To elaborate some, Microsoft Office files require users to enable macro commands (i.e., editing/content), while OneNote documents need them to click on embedded files or links.
How to avoid installation of malware?
We strongly advise vigilance with incoming emails and other messages. Attachments or links present in suspect/irrelevant mail must not be opened, as they can be virulent.
However, malware is distributed using various techniques. Therefore, we recommend being careful when browsing since the Internet is full of deceptive and malicious content.
Furthermore, all downloads must be performed from official and verified sources. Software must be activated and updated using functions/tools provided by legitimate developers, as illegal activation ("cracking") tools and third-party updates can contain malware.
We must stress the importance of having a reputable anti-virus installed and kept updated. Security programs must be used to run regular system scans and to remove detected threats and issues. If you've already opened malicious attachments, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate infiltrated malware.
Text presented in the "Mailbox Service Notification" spam email letter:
Subject: cPanel Mail Service Notification
Mailbox Service Notification
Dear ********,
You have an important mailbox update, continue to complete the mailbox service update.
Continue
complete the update to avoid being logged out of your mailbox.
Screenshot of the phishing website promoted by the "Mailbox Service Notification" spam campaign:
Instant automatic malware removal:
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Quick menu:
- What is "Mailbox Service Notification" phishing email?
- Types of malicious emails.
- How to spot a malicious email?
- What to do if you fell for an email scam?
Types of malicious emails:
Phishing Emails
Most commonly, cybercriminals use deceptive emails to trick Internet users into giving away their sensitive private information, for example, login information for various online services, email accounts, or online banking information.
Such attacks are called phishing. In a phishing attack, cybercriminals usually send an email message with some popular service logo (for example, Microsoft, DHL, Amazon, Netflix), create urgency (wrong shipping address, expired password, etc.), and place a link which they hope their potential victims will click on.
After clicking the link presented in such email message, victims are redirected to a fake website that looks identical or extremely similar to the original one. Victims are then asked to enter their password, credit card details, or some other information that gets stolen by cybercriminals.
Emails with Malicious Attachments
Another popular attack vector is email spam with malicious attachments that infect users' computers with malware. Malicious attachments usually carry trojans that are capable of stealing passwords, banking information, and other sensitive information.
In such attacks, cybercriminals' main goal is to trick their potential victims into opening an infected email attachment. To achieve this goal, email messages usually talk about recently received invoices, faxes, or voice messages.
If a potential victim falls for the lure and opens the attachment, their computers get infected, and cybercriminals can collect a lot of sensitive information.
While it's a more complicated method to steal personal information (spam filters and antivirus programs usually detect such attempts), if successful, cybercriminals can get a much wider array of data and can collect information for a long period of time.
Sextortion Emails
This is a type of phishing. In this case, users receive an email claiming that a cybercriminal could access the webcam of the potential victim and has a video recording of one's masturbation.
To get rid of the video, victims are asked to pay a ransom (usually using Bitcoin or another cryptocurrency). Nevertheless, all of these claims are false - users who receive such emails should ignore and delete them.
How to spot a malicious email?
While cyber criminals try to make their lure emails look trustworthy, here are some things that you should look for when trying to spot a phishing email:
- Check the sender's ("from") email address: Hover your mouse over the "from" address and check if it's legitimate. For example, if you received an email from Microsoft, be sure to check if the email address is @microsoft.com and not something suspicious like @m1crosoft.com, @microsfot.com, @account-security-noreply.com, etc.
- Check for generic greetings: If the greeting in the email is "Dear user", "Dear @youremail.com", "Dear valued customer", this should raise suspiciousness. Most commonly, companies call you by your name. Lack of this information could signal a phishing attempt.
- Check the links in the email: Hover your mouse over the link presented in the email, if the link that appears seems suspicious, don't click it. For example, if you received an email from Microsoft and the link in the email shows that it will go to firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0... you shouldn't trust it. It's best not to click any links in the emails but to visit the company website that sent you the email in the first place.
- Don't blindly trust email attachments: Most commonly, legitimate companies will ask you to log in to their website and to view any documents there; if you received an email with an attachment, it's a good idea to scan it with an antivirus application. Infected email attachments are a common attack vector used by cybercriminals.
To minimise the risk of opening phishing and malicious emails we recommend using Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows.
Example of a spam email:
What to do if you fell for an email scam?
- If you clicked on a link in a phishing email and entered your password - be sure to change your password as soon as possible. Usually, cybercriminals collect stolen credentials and then sell them to other groups that use them for malicious purposes. If you change your password in a timely manner, there's a chance that criminals won't have enough time to do any damage.
- If you entered your credit card information - contact your bank as soon as possible and explain the situation. There's a good chance that you will need to cancel your compromised credit card and get a new one.
- If you see any signs of identity theft - you should immediately contact the Federal Trade Commission. This institution will collect information about your situation and create a personal recovery plan.
- If you opened a malicious attachment - your computer is probably infected, you should scan it with a reputable antivirus application. For this purpose, we recommend using Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows.
- Help other Internet users - report phishing emails to Anti-Phishing Working Group, FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, National Fraud Information Center and U.S. Department of Justice.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Why did I receive this email?
Even if spam emails include information relevant to the recipients, they are not personal. This mail is sent out in large-scale campaigns – hence, thousands of users receive identical or incredibly similar messages.
I have provided my personal information when tricked by this spam email, what should I do?
If you have provided your log-in credentials – change the passwords of all possibly exposed accounts and inform their official support without delay. However, if you have disclosed other private information (e.g., ID card details, credit/debit card numbers, etc.) – immediately contact relevant authorities.
I have read a spam email but didn't open the attachment, is my computer infected?
Merely reading an email will not initiate any malware download/installation processes. Systems are infected when malicious attachments or links are opened/clicked.
I have downloaded and opened a file attached to a spam email, is my computer infected?
Whether the system was compromised might depend on the opened file's format. Once launched, executables cause infections almost without fail. While some formats – like documents – may require additional actions to initiate malware download/installation (e.g., enabling macros, clicking embedded files/links, etc.).
Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections present in email attachments?
Combo Cleaner is designed to scan systems and remove all kinds of threats. It is capable of detecting and eliminating most of the known malware infections. Note that running a full system scan is paramount since sophisticated malicious programs usually hide deep within systems.
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