How to identify scams like "Updated Service Terms"
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on
What kind of scam is "Updated Service Terms"?
Our examination has shown that this is a phishing email designed to appear as a notification from an email service provider regarding updated service terms. It is utilized to trick recipients into disclosing personal information through a fake web page. Such emails should be ignored and reported.
More about the "Updated Service Terms" scam email
This phishing email falsely informs the recipient that their account has not approved the new terms and conditions, and their account, along with all associated data, will be deleted on a specific date and time. The email urges the recipient to log in to update their terms and avoid being discontinued from the service and future offers.
The provided link/button (labeled "UPDATE TERMS") leads to a fake cPanel login website designed to trick recipients into entering their email account login credentials. Scammers can use these details to access email accounts (and possibly other accounts if users use the same login credentials across multiple platforms).
If accessed, email accounts can be used to harvest more information, send scam emails, deliver malware, and more. If other accounts are accessed, they can be used to steal money, make fraudulent purchases, steal identities, and more. Moreover, scammers may sell the stolen information to third parties.
Thus, it is important to recognize scams, avoid responding to suspicious messages from unknown addresses, and not open links in emails of this kind.
| Name | Updated Service Terms Email Scam |
| Threat Type | Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud |
| Fake Claim | Recipient's email account has not approved new terms condictions |
| Disguise | Notification from the email service provide |
| 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. |
Similar scam emails in general
Emails like this are typical phishing attempts designed to appear urgent and important and trick recipients into revealing their login information (or other personal details). It is important not to click on any links or provide personal details in response. In addition to stealing information, fraudsters may try to lure recipients into infecting their computers.
Some examples of phishing emails are "Your Chase Banking Has Been Disabled", "Updated Service Terms", and "Avoid Getting Locked Out".
How do spam campaigns infect computers?
Cybercriminals often distribute malware through email. They do so by including infected attachments, such as MS Office documents, PDFs, script files, archives, or executables. Some of these files can launch an infection immediately after being opened, while others require user interaction, like enabling macros in an infected Office document, to activate the malware.
Scammers may also embed links in emails that lead to malicious websites. These sites can either initiate an automatic malware download or trick users into unknowingly installing harmful software.
How to avoid installation of malware?
Only download software and files from trusted sources like official websites or app stores. Be cautious with unexpected emails from unknown senders, especially those containing links or attachments. Do not click on links or open files in such messages.
Avoid interacting with pop-ups, ads, or links on questionable websites, and never grant notification permissions to untrustworthy sites. Ensure your operating system and software are always updated, and conduct regular scans using a reliable security tool. 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 "Updated Service Terms" email letter:
Subject: [CASE ID: #ZXW-zzjbiqimhj: Update Service Terms and Condtions on ******** To Avoid ******** being terminated
UPDATED SERVICE TERMSAttention Esteemed Customer
We regret to inform you that ******** has not approved our new terms/conditions and will be deleted from ******** today 3/8/2025 5:03:45 a.m. including all data on ********
See below and log-in to get an upgraded mailbox to avoid being discontinued from our service an future offers.
UPDATE TERMS
******** Services.
Phishing website used in this scam:
Instant automatic malware removal:
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Quick menu:
- What is Updated Service Terms 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?
This message was likely sent to multiple email addresses, and your email address may have been obtained through a data breach, a fake website, or other deceptive means.
I have provided my personal information when tricked by this email, what should I do?
If you have disclosed any login credentials, change your passwords immediately. If some account cannot be accessed, contact the service provider.
I have downloaded and opened a malicious file attached to an email, is my computer infected?
The risk of system compromise depends on the file type. For instance, executable files can trigger infections instantly, while other file types, like documents, may require additional actions, such as enabling macros, to deploy malware
I have read the email but did not open the attachment, is my computer infected?
Simply opening an email is harmless, but clicking on links or opening attachments in fraudulent emails can expose your system to malware.
Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections that were present in email attachment?
Combo Cleaner can identify and remove most known malware, but more sophisticated threats may be deeply hidden within the system. To fully eliminate infections of this kind, a thorough system scan is necessary.
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