Avoid getting scammed by fake "Zoho WorkDrive" emails

What kind of email is "Zoho WorkDrive"?

Our examination of the "Zoho WorkDrive" email revealed that it is spam. It is presented as a notification concerning a shared Zoho WorkDrive link. It must be emphasized that this fake email is in no way associated with the Zoho Corporation or any of its products and services. This is a phishing campaign that targets log-in credentials.

"Zoho WorkDrive" email scam overview

This spam email claims that the administrator sent the recipient a link to Zoho WorkDrive. It must be emphasized that this notification is fake, and it is not associated with the real Zoho WorkDrive online file storage and collaboration platform or its developer – the Zoho Corporation.

At the time of research, this email redirected to a phishing website that was down. However, this could be fixed in potential future releases of this campaign (i.e., emails will redirect to a functional webpage).

The phishing site likely imitated a sign-in page to the Zoho WorkDrive or an email (like Zoho Mail). Information entered into such websites is recorded and sent to scammers.

Stolen accounts can be variously misused, and cyber criminals may gain access to the content linked to them. Accounts, platforms, and services may get hijacked due to being registered through an email or because of users reusing the same passwords.

Scammers may use sensitive information discovered on compromised accounts for blackmail, hold it for ransom under threat of sale to third-parties, or other nefarious purposes. Work accounts might be used to infect the corporate network with trojans, ransomware, or other malware.

Furthermore, cyber criminals can steal account owners' identities (e.g., emails, social networking, social media, messengers, etc.) and request loans from contacts/friends, promote scams, and spread malware by sharing malicious files or links.

What is more, stolen finance-related accounts (e.g., e-commerce, money transferring, digital wallets, online banking, etc.) can be used to make unauthorized transactions or online purchases.

In summary, by trusting an email like "Zoho WorkDrive" – users can experience system infections, severe privacy issues, financial losses, and identity theft.

If you have already entered your log-in credentials into a phishing site or file – change the passwords of all possibly compromised accounts and inform their official support without delay.

Threat Summary:

Name	"Zoho WorkDrive" phishing email
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Fake Claim	Admin sent the recipient a Zoho WorkDrive link.
Disguise	Zoho Corporation
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. ▼ Download Combo Cleaner To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. 7 days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

Phishing spam campaign examples

We have written about countless spam campaigns; "Contract/Inheritance/Winning Payment", "Message Sent Using DocuSign Service", and "Mailbox Service Notification" are just a couple of our newest articles on phishing emails.

Various scams are promoted through spam mail, and it is used to proliferate malware. While these emails are commonly poorly put together and riddled with grammatical/spelling mistakes, they can be competently put together and even convincingly disguised as messages from legitimate entities (e.g., companies, organizations, authorities, etc.).

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Malware is often spread via spam campaigns. These emails/messages include virulent files as attachments or download links. Infectious files come in various formats, e.g., documents (Microsoft Office, Microsoft OneNote, PDF, etc.), archives (ZIP, RAR, etc.), executables (.exe, .run, etc.), JavaScript, and so forth.

Malware download/installation is jumpstarted once a malicious file is opened. Some formats require additional actions to initiate the system infection chain. For example, Microsoft Office files need users to enable macro commands (i.e., editing/content), while OneNote documents require them to click on embedded links or files.

How to avoid installation of malware?

We advise exercising caution with incoming emails, PMs/DMs, SMSes, and other messages. Attachments or links found in dubious/irrelevant mail must not be opened, as they can be infectious.

Malware is proliferated using various methods, and it is not exclusive to spam mail. Therefore, we recommend being careful while browsing since the Internet is rife with deceptive and dangerous content.

Another recommendation is to download only from official and trustworthy channels. Additionally, all programs must be activated and updated using genuine functions/tools, as illegal activation tools ("cracks") and third-party updates can contain malware.

We must stress the importance of having a dependable anti-virus installed and kept updated. Security software must be used to run regular system scans and to remove 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 "Zoho WorkDrive" spam email letter:

Subject: Admin has sent you a share link from Zoho WorkDrive

Hello -,

Admin has sent you the following share link from Zoho WorkDrive:
-

Open link

This email was generated from Zoho WorkDrive.
Report abuse

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Quick menu:

• What is "Zoho WorkDrive" 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?

Spam emails are not personal, even if they include details relevant to the recipients. These message are distributed in massive operations – therefore, thousands of users receive identical (or incredibly similar) emails.

I have provided my personal information when tricked by this spam email, what should I do?

If you have provided your log-in credentials – immediately change the passwords of all possibly exposed accounts and inform their official support. However, if you have disclosed other private data (e.g., ID card details, passport scans/photos, credit card numbers, etc.) – contact the corresponding authorities without delay.

I have read a spam email but didn't open the attachment, is my computer infected?

No, reading an email poses no infection threat. Devices are compromised 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 device was infected might depend on the opened file's format. Once opened, executables (.exe, .run, etc.) cause infections almost without fail. However, some formats – like documents (.doc, .xls, .pdf, .one, etc.) – might need extra interaction to begin downloading/installing malware. For example, it may require users to enable macros, click embedded content, or perform other actions.

Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections present in email attachments?

Yes, Combo Cleaner is capable of detecting and eliminating practically all known malware infections. Remember that sophisticated malicious programs tend to hide deep within systems – hence, performing a complete system scan is paramount.

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