How to avoid scams like "Storage Space Running Low" phishing campaign

What kind of scam is "Storage Space Running Low"?

Our team has inspected this email and concluded that it is a phishing attempt. The email contains a fake alert regarding email account security. The scammers behind it aim to deceive recipients into opening a phishing website and entering personal information. Such emails should be ignored to avoid potential negative outcomes.

More about the "Storage Space Running Low" scam email

The phishing email appears to be a security alert regarding an email account issue. It claims that the recipient's account has been flagged due to low storage space. The email urges the recipient to create more storage space within 48 hours by clicking a "GET STORAGE SPACE" button and warns that failure to do so may lead to automatic account deactivation.

Clicking the provided button (link) opens a fake website that imitates the recipient's email service provider. For instance, if the recipient's email address ends with @gmail.com, the site mimics the Gmail login site. This deceptive page aims to lure users into entering their email account login credentials (email address and password).

Scammers can use stolen email account login credentials to gain unauthorized access to personal information, including sensitive emails and contacts. They may impersonate the account owner to deceive friends, family, or colleagues into providing money or personal data or taking other harmful actions.

Also, they could use the account to send phishing emails or deliver malware to other people. Additionally, scammers may attempt to access other online accounts and (or) sell the harvested information on the dark web to other cybercriminals. Thus, it is important to be careful with suspicious emails.

Threat Summary:

Name	Storage Space Running Low Email Scam
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Fake Claim	An issue associated with the recipient's email account has been detected
Related Domain	img2ipfs[.]com
Detection Names	Combo Cleaner (Malware), CyRadar (Malicious), Fortinet (Phishing), Sophos (Phishing), Webroot (Malicious), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Disguise	Letter from an email service provider
Symptoms	Generic greeting, urgent language, suspicious links, grammatical errors.
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.

Similar scam emails in general

These emails are usually used to deceive recipients into revealing sensitive information, such as login credentials, ID card details, credit card information, etc. They often appear as important, urgent letters from entities like banks, email service providers, couriers, etc., and include links or files.

It is important to note that the contents of such emails may be used to trick users into infecting computers. Some examples of scam emails similar to the one we reviewed in our article are "Scan Contract", "Webmail - Fraudulent Activity Alert Notice", and "Email Delivery Error".

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Malicious software can enter systems when recipients interact with malicious attachments or links in deceptive emails. These emails can contain various infected files, like Word documents, PDFs, ZIP files, executables, or scripts, which activate the malware upon being opened or when certain steps are taken, like macros are enabled.

Clicking links in these emails may lead users to fraudulent websites designed to deceive them into downloading malicious software. In some cases, these sites can automatically download malware onto the device. Overall, computers become infected through emails when users take certain actions.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Download software from reputable sources, such as official websites or trusted app stores. Avoid trusting pop-ups, ads, or any clickable elements on suspicious websites. Always scrutinize emails, particularly those from unfamiliar senders or those that seem irrelevant or unexpected, before interacting with any attachments or links.

Ensure that your operating system and applications are regularly updated, and use reliable antivirus or anti-malware software to protect your device. If you have already opened malicious attachments, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate infiltrated malware.

Text presented in the "Storage Space Running Low" email letter:

Subject: Action Required: Security Alert - Your Account

Dear ********,

Our security system has detected an issue associated with your account that require immediate attention.

Security Alert Details:
- Account Email: ********
- Security Score: 10
- Detected Issues: Storage space running low

Important: Action Required
Please create Storage memory space within the next 48 hours by using the below button. Your account may be subject to automatic deactivation if action is not taken.

GET STORAGE SPACE

Feel free to reach out if you need any further assistance.

Best regards,
Security Team
********

Phishing website used in this scam:

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 Storage Space Running Low 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?

Scammers often send out large volumes of emails to a wide audience, betting that a few individuals will respond. These emails are usually broad and impersonal, lacking specific details about the recipient.

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

If you have disclosed your email or account credentials to scammers, update your passwords immediately to protect your accounts. If you cannot access your accounts, contact the service providers for help.

I have downloaded and opened a file attached to this email, is my computer infected?

The likelihood of malware infecting a system through email attachments varies based on the file type and user actions. For instance, executing a malicious .exe file can trigger an immediate infection, while harmful MS Office documents pose a risk only if the user activates macros (enables editing/content).

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

Simply opening an email is generally safe. Computer infections happen only when malicious attachments or links within the email are clicked or opened.

Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections that were present in email attachment?

Combo Cleaner capable of detecting and removing most known malware. Advanced malware can hide deeply within the system, so performing a full system scan is often required to ensure complete removal.

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