Avoid being scammed by "PRIZE EMAIL"

What is "PRIZE EMAIL"?

"PRIZE EMAIL" is a scam run by deceptive websites. It claims that users' emails have been selected as participants in a prize promotion, and therefore they have won certain prizes. In fact, the scam operates by tricking users into making monetary transactions, which are supposedly necessary to receive these fake prizes.

Most visitors to deceptive/scam sites enter them inadvertently - they are redirected by intrusive advertisements or Potentially Unwanted Applications (PUAs) already infiltrated into the system. Note that PUAs do not need express permission to be installed onto devices.

Firstly, visitors to a website, running the "PRIZE EMAIL" scam are congratulated for being chosen to participate in a prize promotion. It alleges that users can win laptops, mobile telephones, tablets, automobiles and cash prizes (ranging from three to five digit sums).

This promotion has been held since 2011 and works by selecting random email addresses, owners of which are eligible to win. The scheme states that not each selected user will win, however, companies sponsoring this prize-driven promotion gain new clients and fans from it.

When consent is given to take part, users are shown a different page. It claims that users need to answer three questions, prior to receiving their reward. These multi-choice questions centre browsing and email topics. Users are then shown another page, which requests that they click a button to begin drawing their prize.

They must click one of three identical images of presents (users are also warned that reloading this page and/or closing the browser will not change the initially-drawn prize). After this, yet another button must be clicked. Following more prize draws, users are finally led to a one-way chat to a 'support operator'.

Users are informed that the company office nearest to them does not have the necessary amount to pay out their winnings, however, they are assured that are other ways to receive the prize. Below the image of a payment invoice, a button navigates to a page listing other options.

These consist of transfer to credit card/electronic wallet or 24-hour delivery by courier. Both of these options carry certain fees. Choosing whichever option will redirect to websites, which enable users to make these payments. Once the transfer is made, however, users receive none of the promised prizes.

"PRIZE EMAIL" is a scam and must not be trusted. Schemes of this type simply generate revenue, and trusting them leads to financial loss and potential privacy issues.

Deceptive/Scam web pages are usually accessed via redirects caused by intrusive ads or PUAs. The latter can generate redirects to untrustworthy and malicious websites. As well as this capability, they have other harmful features. Unwanted applications can run intrusive advertisement campaigns.

The delivered ads diminish the browsing experience and carry specific risks. Other PUA types can hijack browsers and promote fake search engines, however, most of these apps track data. They record users' browsing activity (URLs visited, search queries, etc.) and gather personal information (IP addresses, geolocations and other details).

This private data can then be shared with third parties (potentially, cyber criminals), seeking to misuse it for financial gain. In summary, PUAs can lead to browser/system infiltration and infections, serious privacy issues, financial loss and even identity theft. Therefore, you are strongly advised to immediately remove all suspect applications and browser extensions/plug-ins.

Threat Summary:

Name	PRIZE EMAIL phishing scam
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud.
Fake Claim	Scam claims that users can win various prizes, due to their email having been randomly selected.
Related Domains	priwin[.]xyz, prizeemailbest[.]xyz
Serving IP Addresses	104.28.28.132 (priwin[.]xyz), 104.24.112.176 (prizeemailbest[.]xyz)
Symptoms	Fake error messages, fake system warnings, pop-up errors, hoax computer scan.
Distribution methods	Compromised websites, rogue online pop-up ads, potentially unwanted applications.
Damage	Loss of sensitive private information, monetary loss, identity theft, possible malware infections.
Malware Removal (Windows)	To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your computer with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner. ▼ Download Combo Cleaner To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. 7 days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

"SPECIAL AWARD FROM OUR SPONSORS", "Like Of The Year", and "Congratulations User!" are some examples of scams similar to "PRIZE EMAIL".

Commonly, these scams use social engineering tactics to trick users into performing certain actions. I.e., making monetary transactions, downloading/installing and purchasing content, and so on. You are strongly advised against trusting any web pages claiming that visitors have won prizes or that make similarly 'amazing' offers.

How did potentially unwanted applications install on my computer?

PUAs proliferate via the download/install set-ups of other software. This deceptive marketing tactic is called "bundling". Rushing download/installation processes (e.g. ignoring terms, skipping steps, using pre-set options) increases the risk of unintentionally allowing bundled content onto devices.

When clicked, intrusive ads can execute scripts designed to stealthily download/install unwanted applications. Some PUAs have "official" promotional websites, whereby they are endorsed as "free" and "useful" products.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications

Research all content, prior to downloading/installing. Use only official and verified download channels. Do not use untrustworthy download sources such as P2P sharing networks (BitTorrent, Gnutella, eMule, etc.), free file-hosting sites, third party downloaders and similar.

When downloading/installing, read the terms, explore all possible options, use the "Custom/Advanced" settings and opt-out of supplementary apps, tools, functions, etc. Intrusive advertisements often seem legitimate and harmless, however, they can redirect to highly dubious and rogue web pages (e.g. gambling, pornography, adult-dating and so on).

If you experience these ads/redirects, inspect the system and remove all suspicious applications and/or browser extensions/plug-ins without delay. If your computer is already infected with PUAs, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate them.

Text initially presented by "PRIZE EMAIL" scam:

PRIZE EMAIL 20!9
CONGRATULATIONS!
YOUR EMAIL HAS BEEN SELECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PRIZE PROMOTION!

It is paid:

€574 147
Get Prizes Today
10 MacBook Air   10 iphone 11   10 Ipad pro
BMW X6
1 new automobiles worth over €100,000

Over 1000 cash prizes in the amount ranging from €100 to €10,000

HOW TO TAKE PART?

YOUR ELECTRONIC MAILBOX HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PRIZE DRAW
TAKE PART

Learn more about the prize draw

Why would the largest companies and sponsors pay you that money? First, not all participants receive monetary remuneration. Second, such an action attracts the attention of millions of users on the network. In this way the sponsors of the promotion receive new clients and fans. As you understand, such an action is beneficial for everyone.

This prize promotion has been held annually since 2011.

Billions of e-mail addresses are registered in the world and hundreds of thousands of new emails are registered every day.

The automatic system randomly selects e-mail addresses, and notifies their owners that they can take part in a prize promotion where there is an opportunity to receive valuable gifts and cash prizes.

The appearance of "PRIZE EMAIL" scam (GIF):

Screenshot of the second page displayed by "PRIZE EMAIL" scam:

Text presented in this page:

PRIZE EMAIL 20!9
SEARCH RESULT
ANSWER 3 QUESTIONS TO CONTINUE
TO ANSWER QUESTIONS
THE REWARD IS MADE ONCE WITH INSTANT PAYMENT!

Screenshots of the multi-choice question survey:

Text presented in this survey:

PRIZE EMAIL 20!9
TO WIN A PRIZE, ANSWER A FEW QUESTIONS!
SELECT 1 OF 3 SUBMITTED ANSWERS AND CLICK IT
HOW MANY YEARS HAVE YOU BEEN USING AN EMAIL ACCOUNT?
LESS THAN 1 YEAR
MORE THAN 1 YEAR
LESS THAN 5 YEAR
ATTENTION!
AFTER PRIZE DETERMINATION, IT'S FIXATED BY THE SYSTEM.
PAGE RELOADING OR TURNING OFF YOUR BROWSER WILL NOT AFFECT THE CHANGE OF BONUS

--------

PRIZE EMAIL 20!9
WHICH BROWSER DO YOU USE MOST OFTEN?
SELECT 1 OF 3 SUBMITTED ANSWERS AND CLICK IT
GOOGLE CHROME
SAFARI
MOZILLA FIREFOX
ATTENTION!
AFTER PRIZE DETERMINATION, IT’S FIXATED BY THE SYSTEM.
PAGE RELOADING OR TURNING OFF YOUR BROWSER WILL NOT AFFECT THE CHANGE OF BONUS.

--------

PRIZE EMAIL 20!9
HOW OFTEN DO YOU STEEL WITH PROBLEMS WHEN SENDING MAIL?
SELECT 1 OF 3 SUBMITTED ANSWERS AND CLICK IT
OFTEN
SELDOM
NEVER
ATTENTION!
AFTER PRIZE DETERMINATION, IT’S FIXATED BY THE SYSTEM.
PAGE RELOADING OR TURNING OFF YOUR BROWSER WILL NOT AFFECT THE CHANGE OF BONUS.

Screenshot of the page displayed after the survey is complete:

Text presented in this page:

PRIZE EMAIL 20!9
SEARCH RESULT
YOU HAVE 3 TRIES TO GET VALUABLE PRIZE OR CASH
CLICK THIS BUTTON TO START PRIZE DRAWING
THE REWARD IS MADE ONCE THIS INSTANT PAYMENT!

Screenshot of the "prize drawing":

Text presented in this page:

PRIZE EMAIL 20!9
 

INTERNAL ACCOUNT NUMBER: #2590948
BALANCE: 0 EUR

CLICK ON ONE OF THE 3 GIFTS OFFERED SO THAT THE SYSTEM WILL DETERMINE YOUR PRIZE.
ATTENTION!
AFTER PRIZE DETERMINATION, IT’S FIXATED BY THE SYSTEM.
PAGE RELOADING OR TURNING OFF YOUR BROWSER WILL NOT AFFECT THE CHANGE OF BONUS.

Screenshot of page displayed after "prize drawing":

Text presented in this page:

PRIZE EMAIL 20!9
BALANCE: 5 EUR
INTERNAL ACCOUNT NUMBER: #2590948
YOUR PRIZE IS DEFINED

310 EUR 9645 EUR MACBOOK PRO

SEND CASH WINNINGS TO BALANCE AND CONTINUE
ATTENTION!
AFTER PRIZE DETERMINATION, IT’S FIXATED BY THE SYSTEM.
PAGE RELOADING OR TURNING OFF YOUR BROWSER WILL NOT AFFECT THE CHANGE OF BONUS.

Screenshot of page announcing the "cash prize":

Text presented in this page:

PRIZE EMAIL 20!9
INTERNAL ACCOUNT NUMBER: #2590948
BALANCE: 9650 EUR
YOU WON A CASH PRIZE OF!
9650 EUR
CLICK THIS BUTTON TO START PRIZE DRAWING

Screenshot of the chat:

Text presented in this page:

Hello! My name is Alice, congratulations! You won €9650, that 's a great result! There is a payment order for you to receive your cash prize! Unfortunately, the company office next to you does not have the necessary amount. Explore other ways to earn a cash prize! Have a good day! Prize Email team!

Screenshot of the page displaying the "invoice for payment":

Text presented in this page:

Invoice for payment

Account number 00195738
Invoice date November 29, 2019
Payment terms Is subject to payment

Prize email support Alice
London
21 Edgware Rd
Hyde Park Estate

Phone number: **&#*&#***&#***
Ogranization email: p*****il@gmail.com

Transaction for
#2590948

1. 
   Service    Unit price   Sum

Prize email   Receiving monetary prize   9650,00 EUR   9650,00 EUR

The note for the recipient   Total   9650,00 EUR

Thanks for participation in an action!

1. 9650,00 EUR

Receiving monetary prize

Screenshot of page displaying choices for the "prize" payout:

Text presented in this page:

PRIZE EMAIL 20!9

BALANCE: 9650 EUR

INTERNAL ACCOUNT NUMBER: #2590948

HOW YOU WANT TO PICK UP YOUR CASH WINNINGS

MONEY TRANSFER GENERATION DATE NOVEMBER 29, 2019 1:29:41 PM

AT OFFICE
THERE IS NO OFFICE NEAR YOU WITH THIS AMOUNT AT THE CASH REGISTER. PLEASE SELECT ANOTHER OPTION
REJECTED

TO CARD OR PAYPAL
COST €19.9 WITHDRAWAL TO ANY CREDIT CARD OR ELECTRONIC WALLET
TO PASS FOR PAYMENT

DELIVERY BY THE COURIER
COST €51.74 YOUR WINNINGS WILL BE DELIVERED WITHIN 24 HOURS
TO PASS FOR PAYMENT

Screenshot of website for paying the "necessary fees" (step 1):

Text presented in this page:

CRONOPAY
Payment destination:
Payment
Your information
Your name

Your e-mail

To pay: 19.90 EUR

Payment method:

We only accept payments with 3D Secure!
We are processing only Mastercard.

* Your personal data will not be passed on to third parties.

SUPPORT

Screenshot of website for paying the "fees" (step 2):

Text presented in this page:

Enter payment card information
Visa, MasterCard, Maestro
Payment 19.9 EUR
Holder Name:
Tester
Card Number:
1234567890123456
Expiry Date (Month And Year):

Card Verification Code
CVC
3 digits on the back of the card
Support for buyers
Pay
Payments protected by PCI DSS 3.2

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Quick menu:

• What is PRIZE EMAIL phishing scam?
• How to identify a pop-up scam?
• How do pop-up scams work?
• How to remove fake pop-ups?
• How to prevent fake pop-ups?
• What to do if you fell for a pop-up scam?

How to identify a pop-up scam?

Pop-up windows with various fake messages are a common type of lures cybercriminals use. They collect sensitive personal data, trick Internet users into calling fake tech support numbers, subscribe to useless online services, invest in shady cryptocurrency schemes, etc.

While in the majority of cases these pop-ups don't infect users' devices with malware, they can cause direct monetary loss or could result in identity theft.

Cybercriminals strive to create their rogue pop-up windows to look trustworthy, however, scams typically have the following characteristics:

• Spelling mistakes and non-professional images - Closely inspect the information displayed in a pop-up. Spelling mistakes and unprofessional images could be a sign of a scam.
• Sense of urgency - Countdown timer with a couple of minutes on it, asking you to enter your personal information or subscribe to some online service.
• Statements that you won something - If you haven't participated in a lottery, online competition, etc., and you see a pop-up window stating that you won.
• Computer or mobile device scan - A pop-up window that scans your device and informs of detected issues - is undoubtedly a scam; webpages cannot perform such actions.
• Exclusivity - Pop-up windows stating that only you are given secret access to a financial scheme that can quickly make you rich.

Example of a pop-up scam:

How do pop-up scams work?

Cybercriminals and deceptive marketers usually use various advertising networks, search engine poisoning techniques, and shady websites to generate traffic to their pop-ups. Users land on their online lures after clicking on fake download buttons, using a torrent website, or simply clicking on an Internet search engine result.

Based on users' location and device information, they are presented with a scam pop-up. Lures presented in such pop-ups range from get-rich-quick schemes to fake virus scans.

How to remove fake pop-ups?

In most cases, pop-up scams do not infect users' devices with malware. If you encountered a scam pop-up, simply closing it should be enough. In some cases scam, pop-ups may be hard to close; in such cases - close your Internet browser and restart it.

In extremely rare cases, you might need to reset your Internet browser. For this, use our instructions explaining how to reset Internet browser settings.

How to prevent fake pop-ups?

To prevent seeing pop-up scams, you should visit only reputable websites. Torrent, Crack, free online movie streaming, YouTube video download, and other websites of similar reputation commonly redirect Internet users to pop-up scams.

To minimize the risk of encountering pop-up scams, you should keep your Internet browsers up-to-date and use reputable anti-malware application. For this purpose, we recommend Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows.

What to do if you fell for a pop-up scam?

This depends on the type of scam that you fell for. Most commonly, pop-up scams try to trick users into sending money, giving away personal information, or giving access to one's device.

• If you sent money to scammers: You should contact your financial institution and explain that you were scammed. If informed promptly, there's a chance to get your money back.
• If you gave away your personal information: You should change your passwords and enable two-factor authentication in all online services that you use. Visit Federal Trade Commission to report identity theft and get personalized recovery steps.
• If you let scammers connect to your device: You should scan your computer with reputable anti-malware (we recommend Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows) - cyber criminals could have planted trojans, keyloggers, and other malware, don't use your computer until removing possible threats.
• Help other Internet users: report Internet scams to Federal Trade Commission.

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