How to spot fake emails like "Email Service Enhancement"

What kind of scam is "Email Service Enhancement"?

We have inspected the email and concluded that it is a fake from "IT Software Operator" regarding the activation of upgraded mailbox storage. The scammers behind this fraudulent email aim to extract personal information from recipients through a deceptive page. Such emails are classified as phishing emails.

More about the "Email Service Enhancement" scam email

This phishing email informs recipients of a supposed upgrade to 200GB mailbox storage. It claims that users must verify their accounts within 24 hours to activate this upgrade and instructs them to click the provided link ("Verify I'm not a Robot") to confirm that they are not robots. This link leads to a phishing website.

The page is crafted to resemble the login interface of the recipient's email provider—for example, if the recipient uses Gmail, the site mimics the Gmail login portal. It instructs the recipient to enter the email account password, which, if entered, is transmitted directly to scammers. With these stolen credentials, cybercriminals can access the victim's email account.

Once scammers gain access to an email account, they can search for sensitive information like bank details, personal documents, or login credentials to other services. They may impersonate the victim to send phishing emails or even malicious files or links to contacts. The compromised account can also be used to reset passwords on linked platforms.

Additionally, scammers may sell the obtained information (including login credentials) to third parties. Thus, it is important to be careful with suspicious emails and never disclose personal information on questionable websites.

Similar scam emails in general

Phishing emails are fraudulent messages designed to trick recipients into revealing sensitive information, such as passwords or credit card details. They often impersonate trusted entities and appear urgent and important. These emails often contain links or attachments that lead to data theft or computer infections.

Some examples of phishing emails are "Server (IMAP) Session Authentication", "Reconfirm Account Ownership", and "Standard Bank - VAT Increase".

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Cybercriminals often use email to deliver malware through harmful attachments or embedded links. These attachments—such as executable files, Office documents, scripts, PDFs, or compressed archives—can install malware once opened, sometimes requiring additional actions from the user, like enabling macros in a malicious document.

Malicious links may direct victims to compromised or deceptive websites that initiate automatic downloads or deceive users into manually downloading and running infected files. It is important to note that malware cannot infect a device through email alone without some form of user interaction.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Always download software from official websites or trusted app stores, and ensure your operating system and applications are kept up to date. Exercise caution with unexpected emails from unfamiliar senders, especially those containing links or attachments—never interact with them unless their legitimacy is confirmed.

Use reliable antivirus software and perform regular system scans. When browsing unknown or suspicious websites, avoid clicking on pop-ups, ads, or links, and always reject any notification requests they present. If you have already opened malicious attachments, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate infiltrated malware.

Appearance of the "Email Service Enhancement" scam email (GIF):

Text presented in the "Email Service Enhancement" email letter:

Subject: Action Required: Verify Your Account to Activate 200GB Mailbox Storage

Dear Team,

As the IT Software Operator, I hope this message finds you well.

We are pleased to announce that we are enhancing our email services by offering an upgrade to 200GB of data storage for your mailboxes. To activate this new storage feature, we require all employees to verify their accounts to ensure security and proper usage.

Please follow these steps to complete the verification process:

1. Log in to your email account.
2. Click on the verification link located at the top of your inbox.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions to confirm that you are not a robot.

This verification is essential for all employees to ensure a seamless upgrade to the increased mailbox storage. Please complete this process within 24 hours.

If you encounter any issues or have questions, feel free to reach out to the IT department for assistance.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Best regards,

IT Software Operator

subject: Fw: Action Required: Verify Your Account to Activate 200GB Mailbox Storage

Upgrade Confirmation!
Thank you!
Your recent storage upgrade on cPanel Webmail Server for 200GB data usage premium service package.

In order to keep your email active on the - server, we strongly recommend that you verify you are not a robot to activate storage now.

Valid for 24 hours optima
Verify I'm not a Robot

This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify support@webmail.com

Phishing website used in this scam:

Instant automatic malware removal:

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Quick menu:

• What is Email Service Enhancement 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?

Cybercriminals often send identical scam emails to thousands of people at once. These messages are generic and not tailored to any individual. If you received a scam email, it means that scammers probably obtained your email address from somewhere.

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

If scammers have obtained your email login credentials, immediately change the compromised password—or any other passwords linked to that account. If you annot regain access, reach out to the service provider's support team for assistance.

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

Executable files can launch malware as soon as they are opened. In contrast, files like PDFs or Word documents typically require further user interaction—such as enabling macros—before they can deliver malicious code. The risk of infection depends on the type of file.

I have read the email but did not open the attachment, is my computer infected?

Opening an email itself is not harmful. Malware can only infect a system if users open malicious attachments or click links within fraudulent emails.

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

Yes, Combo Cleaner can detect and remove nearly all known malware infections. However, it is important to remember that advanced malware often hides deep within the system, so performing a full system scan is required to ensure detection and removal.