Avoid losing your account via fake "Spotify Subscription Update" emails
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on
What kind of email is "Spotify Subscription Update"?
Upon inspecting this "Spotify Subscription Update" email, we learned that it is fake. By claiming that the recipient's Spotify subscription has been terminated, this spam message aims to trick them into providing their log-in credentials to a phishing website.
It must be stressed that the information in this email is false, and this mail is not associated with the actual Spotify audio/media streaming service provider.
"Spotify Subscription Update" email scam overview
The spam email with the subject "Attention: Time to Review Your Spotify Account Details - 5428756" (may vary) states that the recipient's Spotify subscription was ended because of an issue with their payment details. The recipient is urged to update their information by clicking the link in the message.
As mentioned in the introduction, the claims made by this email are false, and this mail is in no way associated with the real Spotify or any other legitimate entities.
The promoted phishing website imitates Spotify's sign-in page. Log-in credentials entered into this page are recorded and sent to scammers, thus enabling them to steal the exposed account.
If you have already provided your log-in credentials to a phishing site or file – immediately change the passwords of all possibly exposed accounts and inform their official support.
While the owner's complete payment data cannot be accessed through a stolen Spotify account, contacting the financial services provider is still recommended.
| Name | "Spotify Subscription Update" phishing email |
| Threat Type | Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud |
| Fake Claim | Recipient's Spotify account subscription was terminated due to an issue with their payment details. |
| Disguise | Spotify |
| Related Domains | foodmaxpanama[.]com |
| Detection Names (foodmaxpanama[.]com) | alphaMountain.ai (Phishing), Cluster25 (Phishing), Fortinet (Phishing), Kaspersky (Phishing), Lionic (Phishing), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal) |
| Serving IP Address (foodmaxpanama[.]com) | 45.33.101.228 |
| 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
"Chase - Suspicious Activity", "New Web Browser Just Signed In", "Document Shared Securely", and "HSBC - Account Credited With An Inward Payment" are merely some of our newest articles on phishing emails.
In addition to log-in credentials, these emails commonly target personally identifiable information and finance-related data. However, various scams are promoted through spam mail, and it is used to proliferate malware.
Due to how widespread spam emails are and how well-made they can be – we strongly advise exercising caution with incoming messages.
How do spam campaigns infect computers?
Malware is commonly spread through spam campaigns as attachments or download links. Virulent files come in various formats, e.g., documents (Microsoft Office, Microsoft OneNote, PDF, etc.), executables (.exe, .run, etc.), archives (ZIP, RAR, etc.), JavaScript, and so on.
Malware download/installation is initiated once an infectious file is opened. However, some formats require additional user interaction to jumpstart infection processes. 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 paramount to approach incoming emails, DMs/PMs, SMSes, and other messages with care. Attachments or links present in dubious/irrelevant mail must not be opened, as they can be harmful or infectious.
It must be mentioned that malware is not spread exclusively through spam campaigns. Therefore, we recommend being vigilant while browsing since fraudulent and malicious online content usually appears genuine and harmless.
Furthermore, all downloads must be performed from official and verified channels. Software must be activated and updated using functions/tools provided by legitimate developers, as illegal activation ("cracking") tools and third-party updaters may contain malware.
We must stress the importance of having a dependable 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 "Spotify Subscription Update" spam email letter:
Subject: Attention: Time to Review Your Spotify Account Details - 5428756
Spotify Subscription Update
Dear costumer
We wanted to inform you that your Spotify subscription has ended due to an issue with your payment details.
To continue enjoying your favorite music and playlists without interruption, please update your payment information by clicking the link below:
Update Payment Information
If you have any questions or need further assistance, feel free to contact our support team.
Thank you for being a valued listener!
Best regards,
Spotify Team
© 2025 Spotify. All rights reserved.
Screenshot of the phishing website promoted by the "Spotify Subscription Update" spam campaign:
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Quick menu:
- What is "Spotify Subscription Update" 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, regardless of any relevant details that they may include. Cyber criminals distribute this mail 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 the disclosed information was of a different personal nature (e.g., ID card details, credit/debit card numbers, etc.) – immediately contact the appropriate authorities.
I have read a spam email but didn't open the attachment, is my computer infected?
Reading an email does not pose an infection threat; devices 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 infected might depend on the format of the opened file. Executables cause infections almost without fail (once opened). However, some formats – like documents – may need additional actions. In these cases, malware download/installation is triggered only 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 devices and eliminate all manner of threats. It can detect and remove most of the known malware infections. Remember that high-end malicious programs usually hide deep within systems – hence, performing a complete system scan is crucial.
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