How to recognize scam emails like "Bank Details"
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on
What kind of email is "Bank Details"?
Our inspection of the "Bank Details" email revealed that it is spam. This message claims that the invoice sent by the recipient lacks their company bank details, so the sender asks for this information. This spam mail aims to lure victims into visiting a phishing website that targets email account log-in credentials.
"Bank Details" email scam overview
The spam email with the subject "Bank Details" (may vary) states that the sender has failed to contact the recipient's official today. The invoice sent by the recipient lacks the company's banking details, and this information is necessary for certain payment certification processes. The letter requests the recipient to provide this data by filling out the attached form as soon as possible.
As mentioned in the introduction, the claims made by the email are false, and this mail is not associated with any legitimate entities.
The attached PDF file – "Bank Detail Form.pdf" (filename may vary) – appears as a blurred document. It states that the "PDF is Secured" and to "VIEW ONLINE HERE" / "VIEW HERE". This file redirects to a phishing website disguised as the WeTransfer site.
The fake page claims that – "These files are sensitive and secured against unauthorized access. Please match the displayed email with the correct password to prove you are authorized to view and download these files." – thus, it tricks victims into disclosing their email log-in credentials.
Stolen emails can be variously misused – e.g., to blackmail owners over sensitive data therein, attempt to access linked accounts/platforms/services, and so on.
To expand upon how hijacked accounts (e.g., emails, social media, messengers, chats, etc.) can be utilized, cyber criminals can steal owners' identities and request loans or donations from contacts/friends/followers, promote scams, and spread malware by sharing malicious links or files.
Finance-related accounts (e.g., e-commerce, digital wallets, money transferring, online banking, etc.) can be used to make fraudulent transactions or online purchases. Since the "Bank Details" spam campaign centers on banking information, it is possible that the scammers behind it target financial data as well.
To summarize, victims of scam mail like "Bank Details" can experience severe privacy issues, monetary losses, and identity theft.
If you have provided your log-in credentials – change the passwords of all potentially exposed accounts and inform their official support without delay. And if you have disclosed personally identifiable or finance-related data (e.g., ID card details, passport photos/scans, credit/debit card numbers, etc.) – immediately contact the appropriate authorities.
| Name | "Bank Details" phishing email |
| Threat Type | Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud |
| Fake Claim | Invoice sent by the recipient does not include their company's banking details, so they are asked to provide the missing information. |
| Attachment(s) | Bank Detail Form.pdf (filename may vary) |
| Detection Names | Avast (PDF:PhishingX-gen [Phish]), Fortinet (PDF/Phishing.F1EE!tr), Sophos (Troj/PDFUri-R), Symantec (Trojan.Gen.MBT), WithSecure (Trojan.TR/AVI.PhishingX.bylwf), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal) |
| Related Domains | emailportal.preferenste[.]com |
| Detection Names (emailportal.preferenste[.]com) | Fortinet (Phishing), Webroot (Malicious), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal) |
| Serving IP Address (emailportal.preferenste[.]com) | 172.67.194.198 |
| 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
We have written about countless spam campaigns; "Bank Of America - Payment Processed Successfully", "Mailbox Problem Identified", and "Update Your Domain Name System Security (DNSS)" are just a few of our latest articles on phishing emails.
Aside from log-in credentials, these messages commonly target personally identifiable information and finance-related data. Various scams are endorsed through spam mail, and it is utilized in malware distribution.
Due to how widespread this mail is and how well-made it can be – we highly recommend approaching incoming emails, PMs/DMs, SMSes, and other messages with caution.
How do spam campaigns infect computers?
Spam campaigns proliferate malware through virulent files. These files can be attached to or linked inside the emails/messages. Infectious files can be archives (ZIP, RAR, etc.), executables (.exe, .run, etc.), documents (PDF, Microsoft Office, Microsoft OneNote, etc.), JavaScript, and so forth.
Once such a file is opened – the infection chain is triggered. Some formats need additional actions to jumpstart malware download/installation chains. 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/files.
How to avoid installation of malware?
It is crucial to exercise caution with incoming emails, DMs/PMs, SMSes, and other messages. We advise against opening attachments or links found in suspicious/irrelevant mail, as they can be harmful or virulent.
However, malware is proliferated using various techniques. Therefore, we recommend being vigilant when browsing since fake and malicious online content usually appears legitimate and innocuous.
Another recommendation is to download only from official and verified channels. Programs must be activated and updated using genuine functions/tools, as illegal software activation tools ("cracks") and third-party updates can contain malware.
It must be emphasized that having a dependable anti-virus installed and kept updated is paramount to device/user safety. Security programs must be used to perform 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 "Bank Details" spam email letter:
Subject: Bank Details
Good-Day,
We have tried to call your office today but no response,
we noticed your Invoice details do not bear your company's bank details,
as we intend to bank-in the payment for progress payment certificate for claim no. 5.
CLICK HERE TO FILL THE BANK DETAILS FORM
Please check above to reconfirm your company bank details ASAP and fill the bank details form above.
Waiting for Your Quick Response.
Regards,
Chee Sian
CSCON SDN BHD (1214937-X)
CSTAN ENGINEERING (SA0169040-T)
33,JLN PEKAN BARU, TMN ENG ANN,
41150 KLANG,SELANGOR.
F:03-3342 1048
P Save a tree! Print this message only if it's absolutely necessary
Screenshot of the file attached to this spam email ("Bank Detail Form.pdf"):
Screenshot of the phishing site (fake WeTransfer website) promoted through the attachment:
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Quick menu:
- What is "Bank Details" 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 details that they may include, spam emails are not personal. This mail is distributed in massive campaigns with the hopes that at least some recipients will fall for the scam.
I have provided my personal information when tricked by this spam email, what should I do?
If you have provided your log-in credentials – immediately change the passwords of all possibly exposed accounts and inform their official support. However, if you've disclosed other private information (e.g., ID card details, credit card numbers, etc.) – contact relevant authorities without delay.
I have read a spam email but didn't open the attachment, is my computer infected?
No, merely opening/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?
If the opened file was an executable – most likely, yes – the device was infected. However, you might have avoided this if it was a document. These formats may need extra interaction to initiate infection processes (e.g., enabling macros, clicking embedded files/links, etc.).
Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections present in email attachments?
Yes, Combo Cleaner can detect and eliminate almost all known malware infections. It must be stressed that running a complete system scan is paramount since sophisticated malicious programs tend to hide deep within systems.
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