Avoid getting scammed by fake "John Travolta Foundation" emails
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on (updated)
What kind of email is "John Travolta Foundation"?
After inspecting this "John Travolta Foundation" email, we determined that it is spam. This message claims that the recipient has received an incredibly large sum from the "John Travolta Foundation".
It must be emphasized that this email is not associated with any real public figures or foundations. The likely purpose of this spam mail is to deceive recipients into disclosing private information and/or sending scammers money.
"John Travolta Foundation" email scam overview
The spam email with the subject "JTF02304" (may vary) is written in English and German; the same message is delivered in both languages. This letter states that the recipient can claim a donation of five hundred thousand USD from the "John Travolta Foundation". They are instructed to contact the claims department for further information.
It must be emphasized that the information in this email is false, and this mail is not associated with the Jett Travolta Foundation – a nonprofit organization for special needs children – founded by the American actor John Travolta.
Spam mail that uses lures of this kind often seeks sensitive information, such as passport scans/photos, ID card details, credit/debit card numbers, online bank log-in credentials, etc. Additionally, the scammers can request bogus taxes or fees to be paid – thereby tricking victims into parting with their money.
In summary, by trusting an email like "John Travolta Foundation" – users can experience serious privacy issues, financial losses, and identity theft.
If you have already disclosed your personally identifiable or finance-related information – contact relevant authorities without delay.
| Name | "John Travolta Foundation" phishing email |
| Threat Type | Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud |
| Fake Claim | Recipient has received a $500,000 donation. |
| 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. |
Spam campaigns in general
"Removal Of Dormant/Inactive Accounts", "Some-one Try To Login Into Your Mailbox Address", "Qatar Foundation", and "Intuit QuickBooks - Unable To Process Payment" are merely some of our latest articles on spam campaigns.
This mail is used to facilitate various scams, including phishing, advance fee, tech support, sextortion, refund, and so forth. What is more, spam is utilized in malware distribution.
These emails are often shoddily put together and riddled with mistakes; however, they can be competently written and even convincingly disguised as messages from legitimate entities (e.g., organizations, institutions, companies, service providers, authorities, etc.).
How do spam campaigns infect computers?
Spam campaigns spread malware through infectious files that can be attached to or linked inside the emails/messages. These 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 on.
Once such a file is opened – the infection chain is triggered. Some formats require additional user interaction to initiate malware download/installation. 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?
It is essential to treat incoming emails, PMs/DMs, SMSes, and other messages with caution. Do not open attachments or links found in suspicious/irrelevant mail, as they can be harmful or virulent.
However, malware is proliferated using various methods. Therefore, be vigilant when browsing since the Internet is rife with well-disguised fake and malicious content.
Furthermore, download only from official and verified sources. Activate and update programs using genuine functions/tools, as illegal activation tools ("cracks") and third-party updates can contain malware.
It is paramount for device integrity and user safety to have a reputable anti-virus installed and kept up-to-date. This software 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 "John Travolta Foundation" spam email letter:
Subject: JTF02304
You have received a donation of Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars ($500,000) from the John Travolta Foundation. To make your donation, contact the Claims Department at johntfoundation445@gmail.com with the code JTF02304.
John Travolta Foundation
Sie haben von der John Travolta Foundation eine Spende in Höhe von fünfhunderttausend USD (500.000 $) erhalten. Kontaktieren Sie die Schadensabteilung unter johntfoundation445@gmail.com mit dem Code JTF02304, um Ihre Spende zu tätigen.
John Travolta Foundation
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Quick menu:
- What is "John Travolta Foundation" 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?
Regardless of any relevant information that spam emails may include – they are not personal. Cyber criminals distribute these messages by the thousand with the hopes that at least some recipients will fall for their scams.
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. However, if you have disclosed other personal information (e.g., ID card details, credit card numbers, etc.) – contact relevant authorities without delay.
I have read a spam email but didn't open the attachment, is my computer infected?
No, merely reading an email is harmless. Systems 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?
If the file was an executable – most likely, yes – the device was infected. However, you might have avoided this if it was a document. These formats may need extra interaction (e.g., enabling macro commands, clicking embedded content, etc.) to begin downloading/installing malware.
Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections present in email attachments?
Yes, Combo Cleaner is designed to scan devices and remove all kinds of threats. It can detect and eliminate practically all known malware infections. Keep in mind that sophisticated malicious programs tend to hide deep within systems.
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