Avoid getting scammed by fake "cPanel - Service Update Notification" emails

What kind of email is "cPanel - Service Update Notification"?

After inspecting this "cPanel - Service Update Notification" email, we determined that it is spam. The message urges the recipient to update their email account to avoid service interruptions.

It must be emphasized that this alert is fake, and it is in no way associated with the actual cPanel, L.L.C. This spam mail promotes a phishing site that seeks email log-in credentials.

"cPanel - Service Update Notification" email scam overview

The spam email with the subject "Service Update Notification" (may vary) informs that the webmail platform is undergoing enhancements geared towards improving performance and security. The recipient is requested to update their email settings within 48 hours to avoid account access issues.

As mentioned in the introduction, the information in this message is false, and this mail is not associated with cPanel, L.L.C. or any other legitimate entities.

Pressing the "Update Webmail" button results in a redirect to a phishing website disguised as an email sign-in page. Attempting to sign in through this webpage expose the account's log-in credentials (password) to scammers.

To expand upon the possible dangers, any sensitive information discovered on the account could be used for blackmail or other nefarious purposes. What is more, cyber criminals might be able to gain access to the accounts, platforms, and services registered through the hijacked email.

The unauthorized access may be used to request loans or donations from contacts/friends/followers, endorse scams, and proliferate malware by sharing malicious links or files – under the guise of the account's actual owner. Furthermore, finance-related accounts (e.g., e-commerce, digital wallets, online banking, etc.) can be used to make fraudulent transactions or online purchases.

To summarize, victims of scam mail like "cPanel - Service Update Notification" can experience severe privacy issues, financial losses, and identity theft.

If you have already entered your log-in credentials into a phishing site – change the passwords of all potentially exposed accounts and contact their official support without delay.

Threat Summary:

Name	"cPanel - Service Update Notification" phishing email
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Fake Claim	Email account must be updated to avoid access issues.
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. ▼ 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

"Messages Blocked", "Password Reset Has Been Requested", and "Failed Login Attempt" are merely a couple of our newest articles on phishing emails.

In addition to log-in credentials, these messages commonly seek personally identifiable information and finance-related data. However, various scams are promoted through spam mail, and it is used in malware proliferation.

Due to how prevalent this mail is and how well-crafted it can be – we strongly advise exercising caution with incoming emails, DMs/PMs, SMSes, and other messages.

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., executables (.exe, .run, etc.), archives (RAR, ZIP, etc.), documents (Microsoft Office, Microsoft OneNote, PDF, etc.), JavaScript, and so forth.

Malware download/installation is triggered once a virulent file is opened. Some formats need extra interaction to initiate infection processes. For example, Microsoft Office files require users to enable macro commands (i.e., editing/content), while OneNote documents need them to click on embedded links or files.

How to avoid installation of malware?

It is important to always treat incoming emails and other messages with caution. Attachments or links found in dubious mail must not be opened, as they can be harmful or malicious.

However, malware is not spread exclusively through spam mail. Therefore, we recommend being careful while browsing since the Internet is full of deceptive and dangerous content.

Additionally, all downloads must be performed from official and trustworthy channels. We advise activating and updating software using legitimate functions/tools, as illegal activation ("cracking") tools and third-party updates can contain malware.

It is paramount for device/user safety to have a reputable anti-virus installed and kept updated. Security programs must be used to run regular system scans and to remove detected threats. 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 "cPanel - Service Update Notification" spam email letter:

Subject: Service Update Notification

cPanel

Service Update Notification

Dear ********,

We are enhancing our webmail platform to ensure better performance and security for all users. These improvements are part of our ongoing effort to deliver a smooth and reliable experience.

To continue accessing your account without interruptions, we kindly request that you update your webmail settings at your earliest convenience. This process should be completed within the next 24 to 48 hours.

Please click the button below to complete the update process:

Update Webmail

If you have any questions or require further assistance, please don't hesitate to contact our support team.

regards,
cPanel® Support Team
© 2024 cPanel. All Rights Reserved.

Screenshot of the phishing website promoted by the "cPanel - Service Update Notification" spam campaign:

Instant automatic malware removal: Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced IT skills. Combo Cleaner is a professional automatic malware removal tool that is recommended to get rid of malware. Download it by clicking the button below:
▼ DOWNLOAD Combo Cleaner By downloading any software listed on this website you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. 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.

Quick menu:

• What is "cPanel - Service Update 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?

Regardless of any relevant information that spam emails may include, they are not personal. These messages are distributed in large-scale campaigns – 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 – change the passwords of all potentially compromised accounts and inform their official support. However, if you have disclosed other private information (e.g., ID card details, credit/debit 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?

Reading an email poses no infection threat; 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?

Whether the device was infected might depend on the format of the opened file. Executables cause infections almost without fail (once opened). However, some formats – like documents – need additional actions to initiate these processes. Hence, malware download/installation is only triggered after macros are enabled, embedded content is clicked, or other actions are performed.

Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections present in email attachments?

Combo Cleaner is designed to scan computers and eliminate all kinds of threats. It can detect and remove most of the known malware infections. Note that performing a full system scan is crucial since sophisticated malicious programs typically hide deep within systems.

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