How to identify scams like "HSBC Fraud Victim Compensation"

What kind of scam is "HSBC Fraud Victim Compensation"?

We have inspected the email and concluded that it is a scam. It is disguised as a letter from the HSBC bank regarding compensation for fraud victims. Scam emails like this one are usually employed to trick recipients into transferring money and (or) sending personal information to scammers. Recipients should ignore such emails.

More about the "HSBC Fraud Victim Compensation" scam email

This scam email claims to be from Kelly Brayan at HSBC Bank USA. It informs the recipient that they are among those selected to receive compensation of $3,800,160.00 from the United Nations, supposedly for fraud victims. The email requests information, such as full name, contact address, country of origin, and a direct telephone or WhatsApp number to proceed with the payment.

The email claims that once this information is provided, the recipient will receive documents related to the deposit and proof of payment. However, none of these claims are true. If recipients provide the requested details, scammers may use them for identity theft or other malicious purposes.

Also, scammers behind this scam may ask recipients to pay "administration", "transaction", or other fees to extract money from them. Either way, emails of this type should be ignored to avoid potential issues (e.g., identity theft or monetary loss). It is best to report such emails as spam and delete them.

Similar scam emails in general

Scam emails like this often promise large sums of money, claiming the recipient is entitled to compensation or rewards. They typically request personal details to facilitate a "payment", which is a trick to steal information or money. It is important to ignore such messages and avoid sharing any personal information.

Sometimes, these emails contain links or attachments. Interacting with their contents can lead to computer infections or other issues. Some examples of similar scam emails are "Standard Chartered Bank - Transfer Confirmation", "United Nations - Scam Victim Compensation", and "DOGE Compensation To Fraud Victims Worldwide".

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Threat actors behind emails intended to distribute malware often include infected attachments, such as executable files, which launch the malware when opened. Other types of files, like malicious Office documents, PDFs, or compressed files, may require enabling macros or taking other steps to trigger the malware.

Additionally, emails that deliver malware can contain malicious links that lead to websites designed to automatically download malware or deceive users into downloading and executing malware themselves. Overall, for malware to infect a device, the user must interact with the email content.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Be cautious of unexpected emails from unfamiliar senders, especially those containing links or attachments—only interact with them if you are sure they are legitimate and trustworthy. Always download software from trusted sources, such as official websites or recognized app stores, and ensure your operating system and apps are kept up to date.

When browsing, avoid interacting with pop-ups, ads, and links on questionable sites, and reject notification requests from unreliable pages. Additionally, use reputable antivirus software and perform regular system scans to stay protected. 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 "HSBC Fraud Victim Compensation" email letter:

Subject: Re: Attention Needed

Attention -

My name is Kelly Brayan from HSBC bank USA. Be informed that we have received an amount of $3,800,160.00 from the United Nation office here in the USA for a compensation amount for fraud victims and your email was among the recipients of the compensation amount.

Should you be interested in receiving this amount from the HSBC USA , Kindly reply back with your full names, contact address, country of origin and your direct telephone/WhatsApp number.

Upon receiving the above information I shall update you with the funds deposit papers and the check proof of payment in your name.

Warmest Regards,

Kelly Brayan
540-598-0650
kelly4663love@gmail.com

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Quick menu:

• What is HSBC Fraud Victim Compensation scam?
• 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?

Scammers often send identical emails to multiple recipients. These spam emails are not targeted and do not include personal details. Usually, email addresses are collected from fraudulent websites or data breaches.

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

If scammers have stolen your credit card details, ID card information, or other personal details, contact the relevant authorities as soon as possible.

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

Malicious files can compromise your system as soon as they are opened or after performing specific actions, like enabling macros in an infected document. The level of risk varies depending on the type of file you interact with.

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

Opening an email itself is safe, but clicking on links or opening attachments in fraudulent emails can expose your system to infections and security threats.

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

Yes, Combo Cleaner can detect and remove most known malware. However, advanced malware may conceal itself deep within the system, requiring a full system scan for detection and removal.