How to identify fake update DNSS emails
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on
What kind of email is "Update Your Domain Name System Security (DNSS)"?
After examining this "Update Your Domain Name System Security (DNSS)" email, we determined that it is spam. The message urges the implementation of an update to retrieve quarantined emails. This is a phishing campaign targeting email account log-in credentials (passwords).
"Update Your Domain Name System Security (DNSS)" email scam overview
The spam email with the subject "SUPPORT NOTIFICATION: Upgrade Your E-mail DNSS Settings" (may vary) states that messages failed to reach the inbox.
This fake notification instructs the recipient to update the Domain Name System Security (DNSS) to retrieve the pending emails. If the automatic updates are not implemented, the quarantined messages will be deleted in four days.
It must be emphasized that the information in this spam email is false, and this mail is not associated with any genuine service providers.
After "Proceed To Auto-update DNS Settings" is pressed, it opens a phishing website that imitates the recipient's email sign-in page. Log-in credentials entered into this webpage are recorded and sent to scammers. Emails are of particular interest to cyber criminals, as they tend to contain incredibly vulnerable information and may even open an avenue for stealing linked accounts, platforms, and services.
To expand upon the potential abuse, scammers can steal account owners' identities (e.g., emails, social networking/media, messengers, etc.) and ask for loans or donations from contacts/friends, endorse scams, and spread malware by sharing malicious links or files.
Furthermore, hijacked finance-related accounts (e.g., online banking, e-commerce, digital wallets, money transferring, etc.) can be used to make fraudulent transactions or online purchases.
In summary, by trusting an email like "Update Your Domain Name System Security (DNSS)" – users may experience severe privacy issues, financial losses, and identity theft.
If you have already entered your log-in credentials into a phishing website – immediately change the passwords of all possibly exposed accounts and inform their official support.
| Name | "Update Your Domain Name System Security (DNSS)" phishing email |
| Threat Type | Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud |
| Fake Claim | Email must be updated within four days to retrieve pending messages, else they will be deleted. |
| Related Domains | tpainca7b4aacb925f4baf4da7c6e8597195c.pages[.]dev |
| Detection Names | Combo Cleaner (Malware), G-Data (Malware), Lionic (Malicious), Sophos (Malware), Trustwave (Phishing), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal) |
| Serving IP Address | 172.66.44.200 |
| 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
"Hosting Space Limit Notification", "Your Emails Will No Longer Be Delivered", "Reliable Trustee", "Payment Schedule Document", "You're Added To A New Group", "Mail Cloud Server", and "Mailbox Issue Identified" are merely some of our latest articles on phishing emails.
Commonly targeted information includes log-in credentials, personally identifiable details, and finance-related data. Various lures are used to gain and abuse recipients' trust, such as undelivered messages, expired passwords, updates/upgrades, account issues, shipping mishaps, refunds, payments/invoices, business proposals, inheritances, lotteries, etc. However, various scams are promoted through spam mail, and it is used in malware proliferation.
Due to how widespread this mail is and how well-made it can be – we strongly recommend exercising caution with incoming emails, DMs/PMs, SMSes, and other messages.
How do spam campaigns infect computers?
Spam campaigns spread malware through infectious files distributed as attachments or download links. 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 forth.
Merely opening a virulent file can be enough to trigger malware infiltration. However, some formats require additional user interaction to initiate 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?
We highly recommend approaching incoming emails and other messages with caution. 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 proliferated exclusively via spam mail. Therefore, we advise being careful while browsing since the Internet is full of deceptive and malicious content.
Furthermore, all downloads must be performed from official and trustworthy sources. Another recommendation is to activate and update programs using functions/tools provided by legitimate developers, as illegal product activation ("cracking") tools and third-party updaters may contain malware.
It is paramount for device integrity and user safety to have a dependable anti-virus installed and kept updated. 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 "Update Your Domain Name System Security (DNSS)" spam email letter:
Subject: SUPPORT NOTIFICATION: Upgrade Your E-mail DNSS Settings
Hello ********,
Update your Domain Name System Security (DNSS), to deliver incoming messages that were delayed.
Log on to ******** Portal to Auto-update (DNSS) settings.
Proceed To Auto-update DNS Settings
Note: Quarantined emails will be automatically deleted after 4 days.
******** Support Privacy Policy.
Copyright 2025
Screenshot of the phishing website promoted by this spam campaign:
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Quick menu:
- What is "Update Your Domain Name System Security (DNSS)" 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 a spam email may include – that does not make it 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 password of all potentially compromised accounts and inform their official support. However, if the disclosed information was of a different personal nature (e.g., ID card details, passport photos/scans, credit card numbers, etc.) – immediately contact the appropriate authorities.
I have read a spam email but didn't open the attachment, is my computer infected?
Merely reading an email does not pose an infection threat; devices 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?
The device was likely infected if the opened file was an executable. However, you might have avoided the infection if it was a document. These formats may require additional actions (e.g., enabling macros, clicking embedded content, etc.) to begin downloading/installing malware.
Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections present in email attachments?
Combo Cleaner is designed to scan computers and remove all kinds of threats. It is capable of detecting and eliminating most of the known malware infections. Remember that performing a complete system scan is crucial since sophisticated malicious software usually hides deep within systems.
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