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How to spot scams like "Shipping Bills & Export Declaration Form"

Also Known As: Shipping Bills & Export Declaration Form malspam campaign
Damage level: Severe

What is "Shipping Bills & Export Declaration Form"?

After examining this letter, we have concluded that its intent is to deceive recipients into infecting their computers. The email appears as a correspondence related to shipping bills and export declaration forms, but it includes an attachment specifically crafted to introduce Remcos RAT into the targeted computers.

Shipping Bills & Export Declaration Form malware-spreading email spam campaign

"Shipping Bills & Export Declaration Form" malspam campaign overview

The email appears to be from G. Manohar, the Senior General Manager at ROLON SEALS INTERNATIONAL, with contact information provided at the end. It mentions attachments for shipping bills and an export declaration form related to invoice No - RSI/2023-24/035. The content suggests that the email is related to business or financial matters, particularly invoicing, and documentation.

However, the file attached to this email named "SB-EDF 350.xlam" (its name may vary) is designed to infect computers with Remcos RAT, a remote access Trojan. Remcos is a powerful remote access tool with potential risks when misused.

Once on a system, Remcos grants unauthorized access, enabling cybercriminals to steal personal information, monitor activities, and download malware like ransomware. Victims of Remcos may suffer financial losses due to unauthorized access and potential theft of sensitive data.

The presence of Remcos also increases the risk of data encryption through the injection of ransomware, potentially resulting in data loss and costly ransom payments. In addition to financial losses and data encryption, victims may experience privacy breaches as cybercriminals can access personal information and monitor their activities.

Threat Summary:
Name Shipping Bills & Export Declaration Form malspam campaign
Threat Type Remote Access Trojan
Hoax Recipients are supposed to review the attached document
Attachment(s) SB-EDF 350.xlam (its name may vary)
Detection Names Avast (OLE:CVE-2017-11882-B [Expl]), Combo Cleaner (Exploit.MathType-Obfs.Gen), ESET-NOD32 (Probably A Variant Of Win32/Exploit.CVE-2017-11882.C), Kaspersky (UDS:DangerousObject.Multi.Generic), Microsoft (Exploit:O97M/CVE-2017-11882!KZH), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Symptoms Remote Administraion Trojans are designed to stealthily infiltrate the victim's computer and remain silent, and thus no particular symptoms are clearly visible on an infected machine.
Payload Remcos RAT
Distribution methods Infected email attachments, malicious online advertisements, social engineering, software 'cracks'.
Damage Stolen passwords and banking information, identity theft, the victim's computer added to a botnet, ransomware attacks, financial losses, and more.
Malware Removal (Windows)

To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your computer with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner.
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Malspam campaigns in general

Emails containing malicious attachments are a common tactic cybercriminals use to deliver malware, including ransomware and remote access Trojans, to victims' systems. These emails often impersonate legitimate organizations, use deceptive subject lines, and create a sense of urgency or curiosity to entice recipients into opening the attached files (or links).

Examples of similar campaigns are "ICLOUD Outlook Storage Email Virus", "C&K STEEL COMPANY", and "Crimson International".

How did "Shipping Bills & Export Declaration Form" infect my computer?

The email has a harmful attachment, like "SB-EDF 350.xlam." When users open it and enable macros commands, hidden harmful code runs on their computers, and this code makes the Remcos remote access Trojan download and start working on their systems.

Malware distribution through email often involves various file formats, including document files (e.g., .docx, .xlsx), archive files like .zip, executables (.exe), script files such as JavaScript (.js), image files like .jpg, shortcut files (.lnk), and password-protected archives.

Additionally, email links can lead to malicious websites or downloads, making it essential for users to exercise caution when interacting with email attachments and links to prevent malware infections.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Avoid downloading attachments or clicking links within emails unless you are confident in the source's legitimacy. Do not trust irrelevant emails sent from suspicious or unknown addresses. Be cautious when downloading software or files from unverified sources. Stick to official websites and trusted app stores for downloads.

Avoid clicking on suspicious links or ads, especially when visiting unofficial pages. Ensure your operating system, applications, and web browsers are always updated with the latest security patches. Install a reputable antivirus or anti-malware solution and keep it up to date.

If you have already opened "Shipping Bills & Export Declaration Form" attachment, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate infiltrated malware.

Text presented in the "Shipping Bills & Export Declaration Form" email letter:

Subject:


Dear -,
 
Please find the attachments of Shipping Bills & Export Declaration Form for Invoice No - RSI/2023-24/035.

Thanks & Regards…….?

G.Manohar

Sr.General Manager (F & A)

ROLON SEALS INTERNATIONAL

Plot.No.05,Adibatla Village

Ibrahimpatnam Mandal

Hyderabad – 501 512

Mobile No.9908131413,8790811522

E-mail : accounts@rolonsealsinternational.com

GST.No.36AARFR2216GIZ5

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Quick menu:

Types of malicious emails:

Phishing email icon 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.

Email-virus icon 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 email icon 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:

Example of an email spam

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?

Criminals send identical letters to numerous recipients in the hope that someone will be deceived. These spam emails lack personalization.

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

If you have opened the attached file (.xlam) file and enabled macros commands, your computer is already infected with Remcos RAT.

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

No, merely opening an email poses no risk. It is the act of clicking links within the email or opening attached files that can result in system infections.

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

Yes, Combo Cleaner can detect and remove the majority of known malware infections. However, it is important to note that advanced malware often hides deeply within the system. Therefore, performing a thorough (full) system scan is essential.

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About the author:

Tomas Meskauskas

Tomas Meskauskas - expert security researcher, professional malware analyst.

I am passionate about computer security and technology. I have an experience of over 10 years working in various companies related to computer technical issue solving and Internet security. I have been working as an author and editor for pcrisk.com since 2010. Follow me on Twitter and LinkedIn to stay informed about the latest online security threats. Contact Tomas Meskauskas.

PCrisk security portal is brought by a company RCS LT. Joined forces of security researchers help educate computer users about the latest online security threats. More information about the company RCS LT.

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Malware activity

Global malware activity level today:

Medium threat activity

Increased attack rate of infections detected within the last 24 hours.

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