Avoid the "We Have Hacked Your Website" email scam

What is the "We Have Hacked Your Website" email?

"We Have Hacked Your Website" is a scam email claiming that the website of the recipient's company has been hacked. The scammers state that they have obtained the databases and will leak them, unless a certain sum is paid within the given time frame.

This message is a scam and the information provided is false. Therefore, you are advised to simply ignore the "We Have Hacked Your Website" email.

More about this email scam

The email states that the recipient's company website has supposedly been hacked and the databases have been exfiltrated to an offshore server. The message instructs users to forward this email to someone who has the authority to make important decisions within the company.

Unless the listed demands are met, the email claims that the company's reputation will be damaged irreparably. A ransom to the equivalent of US$1500 (USD) in the Bitcoin cryptocurrency must be paid within five days, otherwise the information will supposedly be sold to the highest bidder.

Additionally, if the data contains any saved emails of customers/associates, they will be notified of the leak. The site will also be de-indexed. I.e., indexes will be removed from search engines and will thus not appear in any queries. The message states that the ransom is non-negotiable and recipients should not even try to respond, as they will not receive a reply.

To summarize, the "We Have Hacked Your Website" email is a scam and none of the threats it makes can actually be carried out by the scammers. These individuals have not compromised any websites associated with the recipients or stolen vulnerable information. Therefore, do not trust this message or meet its demands.

Emails of this kind in general

Deceptive/Scam emails are sent by the thousand during large scale operations - these are called "spam campaigns". "Infect Your Family With CoronaVirus", "Microsoft Email Scam", "I infected your computer with my private trojan" and "RedCross Email Scam" are some examples of such campaigns.

The messages are usually presented as "important", "urgent", "priority", "official" and similar. The emails can even be disguised as mail from legitimate organizations, institutions, companies, service providers, etc. These messages use social engineering and scare tactics to trick recipients into performing certain actions.

For example, making monetary transactions (e.g. paying ransoms, fake fees and bills, etc.), revealing personal information (e.g. names, addresses, telephone numbers, emails, banking account and/or credit card details, etc.), opening infectious files and so on.

Regardless of the claims, requests and threats these emails make, their purpose is identical: to generate revenue for the scammers/cyber criminals behind them.

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Systems are infected through dangerous files sent during spam campaigns. These files are attached to or linked inside deceptive/scam emails. Malicious files can be in various formats such as Microsoft Office or PDF documents, archive (RAR, ZIP, etc.) and executable (.exe, .run, etc.) files, JavaScript, etc.

When they are executed, run or otherwise opened, the infection process starts. I.e., when opened, they begin downloading/installing malware. For example, Microsoft Office documents initiate these processes by executing malicious macro commands.

Once opened, MS Office documents ask users to enable macro commands (i.e., to enable editing) - doing so for infectious documents leads to an infection.

How to avoid installation of malware

You are strongly advised not to open suspicious or irrelevant emails, especially those received from suspect/unknown senders. Any attachments or links found in dubious messages must not be opened, as this can result in high-risk system infection. Additionally, it is important to use Microsoft Office versions released after 2010.

Newer versions have "Protected View" mode, which prevents infection processes from being triggered when a malicious document is opened.

As well as spam campaigns, malware is also distributed using untrusted download channels (unofficial and free file-hosting websites, Peer-to-Peer sharing networks and other third party downloaders), illegal activation tools ("cracks") and fake updaters.

Therefore, use only verified download sources and activate and update products with tools/functions provided by legitimate developers. To ensure device and user safety, it is paramount to have reputable anti-virus/anti-spyware software installed and kept up to date.

Furthermore, these programs should be used to run regular system scans and to remove detected threats. 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 "We Have Hacked Your Website" email message:

PLEASE FORWARD THIS EMAIL TO SOMEONE IN YOUR COMPANY WHO IS ALLOWED TO MAKE IMPORTANT DECISIONS!

We have hacked your website - and extracted your databases.

How did this happen?

Our team has found a vulnerability within your site that we were able to exploit. After finding the vulnerability we were able to get your database credentials and extract your entire database and move the information to an offshore server.

What does this mean?

We will systematically go through a series of steps of totally damaging your reputation. First your database will be leaked or sold to the highest bidder which they will use with whatever their intentions are. Next if there are e-mails found they will be e-mailed that their information has been sold or leaked and your - was at fault thusly damaging your reputation and having angry customers/associates with whatever angry customers/associates do. Lastly any links that you have indexed in the search engines will be de-indexed based off of blackhat techniques that we used in the past to de-index our targets.

How do I stop this?

We are willing to refrain from destroying your site's reputation for a small fee. The current fee is $1500 in bitcoins (BTC).

Please send the bitcoin to the following Bitcoin address (Copy and paste as it is case sensitive):

1JToMSCtc4nW3fNDUL4xV9QYqmyKJEYMdj

Once you have paid we will automatically get informed that it was your payment. Please note that you have to make payment within 5 days after receiving this e-mail or the database leak, e-mails dispatched, and de-index of your site WILL start!

How do I get Bitcoins?

You can easily buy bitcoins via several websites or even offline from a Bitcoin-ATM. We suggest you to start with localbitcoins.com, paxful.com or do a google search.

What if I don’t pay?

If you decide not to pay, we will start the attack at the indicated date and uphold it until you do, there’s no counter measure to this, you will only end up wasting more money trying to find a solution. We will completely destroy your reputation amongst google and your customers.

This is not a hoax, do not reply to this email, don’t try to reason or negotiate, we will not read any replies. Once you have paid we will stop what we were doing and you will never hear from us again!

Please note that Bitcoin is anonymous and no one will find out that you have complied.

Another variant of this scam:

Text in this scam:

PLEASE FORWARD THIS EMAIL TO SOMEONE IN YOUR COMPANY WHO IS ALLOWED TO MAKE IMPORTANT DECISIONS!

We have hacked your website - and extracted your databases.

How did this happen?

Our team has found a vulnerability within your site that we were able to exploit. After finding the vulnerability we were able to get your database credentials and extract your entire database and move the information to an offshore server.

What does this mean?

We will systematically go through a series of steps of totally damaging your reputation. First your database will be leaked or sold to the highest bidder which they will use with whatever their intentions are. Next if there are e-mails found they will be e-mailed that their information has been sold or leaked and your site - was at fault thusly damaging your reputation and having angry customers/associates with whatever angry customers/associates do. Lastly any links that you have indexed in the search engines will be de-indexed based off of blackhat techniques that we used in the past to de-index our targets.

How do I stop this?

We are willing to refrain from destroying your site’s reputation for a small fee. The current fee is $2000 USD in bitcoins (BTC).

Send the bitcoin to the following Bitcoin address (Copy and paste as it is case sensitive):

1Bs6CYDuHy1UGLr5ccz2UxRNcPGpeAa7tz

Once you have paid we will automatically get informed that it was your payment. Please note that you have to make payment within 5 days after receiving this notice or the database leak, e-mails dispatched, and de-index of your site WILL start!

How do I get Bitcoins?

You can easily buy bitcoins via several websites or even offline from a Bitcoin-ATM. We suggest you hxxps://cex.io/ for buying bitcoins.

What if I don’t pay?

If you decide not to pay, we will start the attack at the indicated date and uphold it until you do, there’s no counter measure to this, you will only end up wasting more money trying to find a solution. We will completely destroy your reputation amongst google and your customers.

This is not a hoax, do not reply to this email, don’t try to reason or negotiate, we will not read any replies. Once you have paid we will stop what we were doing and you will never hear from us again!

Please note that Bitcoin is anonymous and no one will find out that you have complied.

Yet another example of "We Have Hacked Your Website" scam email:

Text presented within:

Subject: Your site - HACKED ...

 

Hi.
We are a group of highly qualified ethical hackers who scan tens of thousands of sites every day for critical vulnerabilities and patch them for a small fee of $ 1500 per site.
On your site - we have discovered 50 critical vulnerabilities, each of which can give attackers full access to your site, databases and the server as a whole.
Pay $ 1500 to this Bitcoin wallet bc1qw8uwvpx3jnz8jlyj5j6zff9z5ztlsggvyq5pfj
And after payment within 3 hours we will fix all the vulnerabilities on your site and you can sleep peacefully without worrying about the safety of your site and server.
If we are hired by well-known corporations, then we charge from $ 50000 for our services, so you are lucky that we offer you the same service for $ 1500.

A Polish variant of "We Have Hacked Your Website" scam campaign:

Text presented within:

Subject: ********: Witryna została naruszona

 

PROSIMY O PRZESŁANIE TEGO E-MAILA KOMUŚ W TWOJEJ FIRMIE, KTÓRY MOŻE PODEJMOWAĆ WAŻNE DECYZJE!

Zhakowaliśmy Twoją witrynę ******** i wyodrębnij swoje bazy danych.

Jak to się stało?

nasz zespół znalazł lukę w Twojej witrynie, którą mogliśmy wykorzystać. Po znalezieniu luki udało nam się uzyskać poświadczenia Twojej bazy danych, wyodrębnić całą bazę danych i przenieść informacje na serwer offshore.

Co to znaczy?

Będziemy systematycznie przechodzić przez szereg kroków, które całkowicie zaszkodzą Twojej reputacji. Najpierw twoja baza danych wycieknie lub zostanie sprzedana oferentowi, który zaoferuje najwyższą cenę, z którego skorzysta bez względu na jego intencje. Następnie, jeśli zostaną znalezione wiadomości e-mail, otrzymają wiadomość e-mail, że ich informacje zostały sprzedane lub wyciekły, a Twoja witryna ******** zawinił, w ten sposób szkodząc Twojej reputacji i mając rozzłoszczonych klientów/współpracowników, niezależnie od tego, co robią rozgniewani klienci/współpracownicy. Wreszcie wszystkie linki, które zaindeksowałeś w wyszukiwarkach, zostaną usunięte w oparciu o techniki blackhat, których używaliśmy w przeszłości do deindeksowania naszych celów.

Jak to zatrzymać?

Jesteśmy gotowi powstrzymać się od zniszczenia reputacji Twojej witryny za niewielką opłatą. Obecna opłata wynosi 2900 $ w $ (0,15 BTC).

Wyślij bitcoin na następujący adres bitcoin (koniecznie skopiuj i wklej):

3JY1suMCzv5DgrXTKsynfdic5jTpAEV4Sc

 po dokonaniu płatności zostaniemy automatycznie poinformowani, że to była Twoja płatność. Zwróć uwagę, że musisz dokonać płatności w ciągu 5 dni od otrzymania tego e-maila lub wycieku bazy danych, wysłanych e-maili i deindeksowania Twojej witryny ZACZNIE SIĘ!

Jak mogę otrzymać bitcoins?

Możesz łatwo kupić bitcoins za pośrednictwem kilku stron internetowych lub nawet offline z bitcoin-bankomatu.

Co jeśli nie zapłacę?

jeśli zdecydujesz się nie płacić, rozpoczniemy atak we wskazanym terminie i będziemy go podtrzymywać, dopóki tego nie zrobisz, nie ma na to żadnego środka zaradczego, tylko stracisz więcej pieniędzy, próbując znaleźć rozwiązanie. Całkowicie zniszczymy Twoją reputację wśród Google i Twoich klientów.

To nie jest mistyfikacja, nie odpowiadaj na tego e-maila, nie próbuj argumentować ani negocjować, nie będziemy czytać żadnych odpowiedzi. gdy już zapłacisz, przestaniemy robić to, co robiliśmy i nigdy więcej od nas nie usłyszysz!

Pamiętaj, że bitcoin jest anonimowe i nikt nie dowie się, że spełniłeś wymagania.

Yet another example of an email from "We Have Hacked Your Website" spam campaign:

Text presented within:

Subject: -: 5 Vulnerabilities Have Been Found In Your Site

We have hacked your website - and extracted your databases. This was due to the security holes you had in your your site/server which have gained us remote control of everything that was on the server.

Our team is mostly interested in customer, administrative, and employee information which we have extracted through your databases once we got remote control over the server. It still needs to be sorted out but it will be well-organized once finished. First, we will be going through the emails/sms information and contacting the recipient how you held in disregard about their information being exposed to a hacking group when you could have stopped it. This would be detrimental to your personal image with these relationships with these people. Lastly, now that we have information not only will we be monetizing off it with our methods but made public or sold to other people that will do whatever they wish with the information also after we are done.

Now you can put a stop to this by paying a $3000 fee (0.10 BTC) in bitcoin to the address 33Mw16wNgvQZHzmS87MCTJ3ZAJBowre1rd We will be notified of payment which we will then delete the information we have obtained, patch the hole in the site/server which we got in and remove you from any future targeting in the future. You have 72 hours in doing so after viewing this message or the series of steps will commence. You can obtain bitcoin through such services such as paxful.com or do a search on bing.com

Instant automatic malware removal:

Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced IT skills. Combo Cleaner is a professional automatic malware removal tool that is recommended to get rid of malware. Download it by clicking the button below:

By downloading any software listed on this website you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. 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.

Types of malicious emails:

If you opened an attachment or downloaded a file from a suspicious email, run a full system scan with Combo Cleaner. If you only received the email and didn't engage with it, you don't need to scan anything - just identify the scam and delete it. The full procedure below covers both situations and what to do if you already clicked, replied, or sent money.

Credential theft Phishing emails

Fake login pages disguised as PayPal, Microsoft, Apple, banks, or social networks. The email pushes a link to a near-perfect copy of the real login screen. The moment you type your username and password, the attacker has them.

Common subject lines

• "Action required: confirm your account"
• "Your password expires today"
• "Unusual sign-in attempt detected"
• "Verify your billing information"

Malware delivery Emails with malicious attachments

Trojans hidden inside fake invoices, faxes, shipping confirmations, or Office documents. Opening the attachment runs the payload and infects the system - often with an info-stealer or remote-access trojan.

Common subject lines

• "Invoice INV-2026-XXXX attached"
• "Fax received - 3 pages"
• "Your shipping document is ready"
• "Voicemail from +1-XXX-XXX-XXXX"

Extortion Sextortion emails

Fake claims of webcam recordings demanding cryptocurrency. Almost always a bluff: the attacker pulls a real password from an old data breach to make the threat look credible, then claims to have video of you. They have no recording and no access.

Common subject lines

• "I know your password is XXXX"
• "Your account has been hacked"
• "I have recorded you - 48 hours to pay"
• "You have been compromised"

Callback fraud Refund & callback scams

"Your subscription was renewed for $499 - call to cancel." Norton, McAfee, Geek Squad, PayPal, and Wells Fargo variants are all common. There's no real subscription. The phone number in the email connects directly to the scammer, who walks you through "refunding" yourself - which is actually them stealing money from your bank.

Common subject lines

• "Norton subscription auto-renewed - $499.99"
• "McAfee Total Protection invoice"
• "Geek Squad order confirmation"
• "Your PayPal payment is being processed"

Credential theft Account suspension & verification scams

"Your account will be deleted in 24 hours - verify now." The artificial deadline is the whole point: it pressures you to click before checking details. The "verify" link goes to a phishing page styled to look like the real provider.

Common subject lines

• "Your account will be deleted in 24 hours"
• "Suspicious activity detected - verify now"
• "Final warning: account closure"
• "Action required to keep your account active"

Mixed payload Delivery & package scams

Fake DHL, USPS, UPS, or FedEx tracking, customs fees, or "package undeliverable" notices. Targets anyone expecting a parcel - the timing alone catches many people. The link hides either phishing (asking for card details to "release" the package) or a malware download.

Common subject lines

• "Your DHL package is held at customs"
• "USPS - delivery attempt failed"
• "FedEx tracking update - action required"
• "Pay $2.99 redelivery fee to release your parcel"

Remote access Tech support scams

Fake Microsoft, Apple, or "Windows Defender" security alerts pushing a phone number. Real Microsoft and Apple never email a phone number to call. The number connects you to a scammer who asks for remote access to "fix" the imaginary problem and then demands payment.

Common subject lines

• "Microsoft Defender expired - renew now"
• "Apple ID security alert"
• "Critical: virus detected on your PC"
• "Windows license expired - call now"

Wire fraud Advance-fee scams

Inheritance, lottery wins, romance, or business deals that ask for a small fee to release a much larger sum. The classic "Nigerian prince" 419 family of frauds. Once you pay the first fee, more fees appear (taxes, lawyer, transfer charges) until you stop paying. The promised money never exists.

Common subject lines

• "Inheritance from a relative you didn't know about"
• "You won the international lottery"
• "URGENT - business proposal worth $XX million"
• "Compensation fund release for fraud victims"

Wire fraud Business email compromise (BEC)

CEO impersonation asking employees to wire money or buy gift cards, or fake supplier invoices with newly "updated" bank details for payment redirection. The email often spoofs a real internal executive's display name and uses an external lookalike domain.

Common subject lines

• "Quick task - need you to buy gift cards"
• "Updated banking details for invoice payment"
• "Wire transfer request - urgent"
• "Are you available?" (CEO impersonation opener)

How to spot a malicious email?

Phase 1~ 2 min

Spot - identify the red flags

---

1

Check the sender's actual address, not the display name

30 sec

The display name (the human-readable part) is trivial to fake. Always check the full address that comes after it. Common red flags:

• Domain mismatch - service@paypa1.com, support@micros0ft-help.com, look-alike domains using digits or extra hyphens
• Free-email impersonation - any "official" message from a bank, courier, or platform sent from a @gmail.com, @outlook.com, or @yahoo.com address
• Reply-To mismatch - the From address looks legitimate but Reply-To points somewhere completely different

Why this matters

Real companies own their domains and send mail from them. A "DHL" message from a Gmail address is never legitimate, regardless of how convincing the body looks.

2

Watch for urgency, threats, and generic greetings

30 sec

Scams almost always rush you. The point is to make you act before you think. Treat any of the following as a strong signal:

• "Your account will be deleted in 24 hours"
• "Final notice" / "Immediate action required"
• "Dear Customer" or "Dear User" instead of your real name
• Threats of fines, account closure, legal action, or arrest
• Promises of refunds, prizes, or money you didn't earn
• Spelling and grammar mistakes in messages claiming to come from a major brand

3

Hover over every link before clicking

30 sec

On a desktop, hover the mouse over the link without clicking. The real destination shows in the bottom-left status bar of your browser or email client. On a phone, long-press the link to preview the URL.

• Real Microsoft, PayPal, or bank links go to those exact domains, not redirects through unrelated sites
• Shortened URLs (bit.ly, tinyurl, t.co) hide the real destination - never click them in unsolicited mail
• The visible link text and the actual URL must match - mismatches are the single biggest phishing red flag

Pro tip

When in doubt, don't click the link. Open a new browser tab and type the company's address yourself, then log in normally. If there really is an issue with your account, you'll see it there.

4

Treat unexpected attachments as hostile

30 sec

If you didn't ask for the file, don't open it - even if it appears to come from someone you know. Categories that should never be opened from email without verification through another channel:

• .exe, .scr, .iso, .img, .vbs, .bat - executables, never legitimate attachments
• .docx, .xlsx, .pptx with "Enable macros" prompts - the macros run the malware
• .pdf with "Click here to view" buttons - usually a phishing redirect, not a real document
• .zip, .rar, .7z archives, especially password-protected ones - the password defeats the email scanner

Phase 2~ 2 min

Report and delete - if you haven't engaged

---

If you only received the email and didn't reply, click, or open anything, the steps below are all you need. Your computer is not infected.

5

Don't reply, don't click "unsubscribe"

30 sec

Replying confirms your address is real and monitored, which gets you added to higher-value scam lists. The "unsubscribe" link in a scam message is rarely a real opt-out - it usually leads to a phishing page or downloads a tracking pixel.

Instead, mark the message as junk or phishing inside your email client (this trains the spam filter), then block the sender.

6

Report the scam to your email provider and authorities

1 min

Inside your email client:

• Gmail: open the message → ⋮ menu → Report phishing
• Outlook / Outlook.com: ⋯ menu → Report → Report phishing
• Apple Mail / iCloud: Move to Junk, then forward to reportphishing@apple.com

Forward or report to authorities:

• International: forward to reportphishing@apwg.org
• United States: ic3.gov (FBI)
• United Kingdom: forward phishing emails to report@phishing.gov.uk (NCSC SERS); for financial loss report at reportfraud.police.uk (Report Fraud, the successor to Action Fraud; 0300 123 2040)
• Canada: antifraudcentre.ca
• Australia: scamwatch.gov.au
• EU: your national CERT - find yours via the ENISA CSIRT map

After reporting, delete the email and empty the Trash folder so you don't accidentally open it later.

Phase 3~ 10–60 min

Recover - if you already engaged with the scam

---

Pick the step below that matches what you did. If multiple apply, work through them in the order they appear - the steps are arranged from lowest to highest risk.

7

You only clicked a link (didn't enter anything or download anything)

Scenario: clicked link only10 min

Close the page right away. Don't enter any information, even if the page looks legitimate.

• Clear your browser cache and cookies for the last hour - Chrome/Edge: Ctrl+Shift+Del → Last hour → check Cookies and Cached files
• Run a quick scan with Combo Cleaner in case the page tried to drop a file silently (drive-by download)
• Update your browser to the latest version - most drive-by exploits target outdated browsers
• Watch for new browser pop-ups, redirects, or unfamiliar notifications over the next few days

Why this matters

Modern browsers block most drive-by attacks, but a single click on a phishing page can still be enough on an outdated browser or unpatched plugin. A quick scan catches anything that landed silently.

8

You opened an attachment or downloaded a file - run a full malware scan

Scenario: opened attachment⚠ Highest risk60–90 min

Opening an attachment is the most common path to actual infection. Treat the system as compromised until the scans below come back clean. Work through these sub-steps in order:

8.1Disconnect from the network

Unplug Ethernet and turn off Wi-Fi. If the attachment was an info-stealer or remote-access trojan, this stops it from sending data out or receiving commands. Keep the network off until you've booted into Safe Mode (next step) - you'll reconnect there briefly to download the scanners.

8.2Boot into Safe Mode with Networking, then download the scanners

Windows 11: Settings → System → Recovery → Advanced startup → Restart now → Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Startup Settings → Restart → press 5 or F5.

Windows 10: hold Shift, click Power → Restart → Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Startup Settings → Restart → press F5.

Once Safe Mode has loaded, turn Wi-Fi back on and download Combo Cleaner (used in 8.4) and Microsoft Safety Scanner (used in 8.5). Safe Mode loads only minimal drivers, so most malware can't auto-run while you're getting the tools. Save both installers to your Desktop.

8.3Run Microsoft Defender Offline

Reboot to normal Windows. Open Windows Security → Virus & threat protection → Scan options. Select Microsoft Defender Antivirus (offline scan) and click Scan now. The PC restarts into a stripped-down environment and scans the disk before Windows fully loads - this is what catches rootkits and bootkits.

Recommended antivirus

Combo Cleaner

VB100 certified. Includes anti-trojan, registry/persistence scanning, and anti-spyware in one pass. The 7-day free trial is available.

Download Combo Cleaner

8.4Run a full Combo Cleaner scan

Install Combo Cleaner and run a full system scan (not the quick scan). Let it complete fully, review what it found, and apply the recommended actions. Combo Cleaner will quarantine known trojans and remove their persistence in the registry.

8.5Run Microsoft Safety Scanner as a second-opinion scan

Download Microsoft Safety Scanner (MSERT.exe). The binary expires every 10 days, which means every download has the latest signatures. Run a full scan after Combo Cleaner to catch anything one engine alone might miss.

8.6Reset browsers and clear notification permissions

Many email-borne trojans drop adware that hijacks browsers. Reset each browser you use:

Chrome: chrome://settings/reset → Restore settings to their original defaults. Then chrome://settings/content/notifications - remove unfamiliar sites.

Edge: edge://settings/reset. Then edge://settings/content/notifications.

Firefox: about:support → Refresh Firefox.

8.7Re-enable Defender, Tamper Protection, and update everything

Open Windows Security → Virus & threat protection → Manage settings and confirm Real-time protection, Cloud-delivered protection, and Tamper Protection are all on. Then run Settings → Windows Update → Check for updates and update browsers and applications.

Important

If the scans keep finding new threats on each run, or files reappear after deletion, you may have a deeper compromise that needs a clean Windows reinstall. See pcrisk's full manual malware removal guide for the extended procedure (Process Explorer, Autoruns, hosts file inspection).

9

You entered credentials on a fake login page

Scenario: shared password⚠ Act fast20 min

Assume the attacker has your password and is using it right now. Speed matters.

1. Change the password from a different, known-clean device (your phone is fine if it's not infected). Don't reuse the old password anywhere else.
2. Enable two-factor authentication if you haven't already. Prefer an authenticator app or hardware key over SMS.
3. Sign out of all sessions - most platforms have a "sign out everywhere" option in security settings, which kicks the attacker out.
4. Review recent activity - look for unfamiliar logins, new devices, forwarding rules, or app permissions. Remove anything you don't recognize.
5. Check your other accounts - if you reused that password anywhere else, change it there too. Check your exposure at haveibeenpwned.com.
6. Update security questions - the attacker may have seen the answers in your account profile.

Why email comes first

If you only have time to change one password, change your primary email password - it's the recovery hub for every other account. An attacker who controls your email can reset everything else.

10

You sent money or shared bank, card, or ID details

Scenario: financial loss⚠ Contact bank now30 min

Time is the single biggest factor in recovering money. Banks can sometimes recall a wire or reverse a card transaction within the first few hours.

1. Call your bank or card issuer immediately. Use the number on the back of the card, not any number from the scam email. Ask them to freeze the card, reverse the transaction if possible, and flag the account for fraud monitoring.
2. If you sent a wire transfer or used a money-transfer service (Western Union, MoneyGram, Zelle, Wise), call them directly and request a recall. Some can be reversed within minutes if reported fast.
3. If you sent cryptocurrency or gift cards, recovery is unlikely - but report it anyway, since law enforcement tracks these patterns.
4. File a police report. You'll need the report number for any insurance, bank, or credit-bureau claim. Save the report number.
5. File with the right authority for your country:
   • US: ic3.gov + reportfraud.ftc.gov
   • UK: reportfraud.police.uk (Report Fraud, the successor to Action Fraud; 0300 123 2040)
   • Canada: antifraudcentre.ca
   • Australia: scamwatch.gov.au
   • EU: your national CERT or police cybercrime unit
6. Set fraud alerts on all major credit bureaus if you shared any ID details. US: Equifax, Experian, TransUnion. UK: Experian, Equifax, TransUnion (Cifas Protective Registration is a stronger option).
7. Save all evidence - the original email (with full headers), screenshots of the fake site, transaction records, any phone numbers or chat logs.

Phase 4~ 15 min + 30 days

Verify & monitor

---

11

Final scan and startup-app check

15 min

Reconnect to the network and run one final full scan with Combo Cleaner, followed by a Windows Defender quick scan. Then open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) and switch to Startup apps - disable anything unfamiliar.

Make sure Windows, browsers, and any applications you use are fully up to date. The infection vector that worked on you once usually involves outdated software.

12

Monitor accounts and credit for 30 days

5 min/day · 30 days

Most fraud follow-ups land in the first month. Until that window closes, keep watching:

• Bank and card statements - daily for the first week, then weekly
• Email - watch for password-reset confirmations or login alerts you didn't trigger
• Credit report - US: free at annualcreditreport.com; UK: Experian, Equifax, TransUnion all have free tiers
• Breach alerts - sign up at haveibeenpwned.com to be notified when your email appears in new leaks

If anything new appears in any of those, treat it as a continuing compromise: change passwords again, contact the bank again, and update the police report.

Important: If you didn't click anything, didn't reply, and didn't open any attachment, your computer is not infected - just delete the email and move on. If you opened an attachment or downloaded a file, run an automated scan with Combo Cleaner and Windows Defender and stop there. That path catches the vast majority of email-borne malware without the risk of breaking Windows by deleting the wrong file.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Why did I receive this email?

This letter is not addressed to you personally. It is very likely that scammers sent it to all email addresses that they have in their database.

Is my computer actually hacked and does the sender have any information?

No, your computer is not hacked (or infected). Scammers hope that someone will believe that their computers are hacked and (or) personal information is stolen and send them money.

I have sent cryptocurrency to the address presented in such email, can I get my money back?

Unfortunately, crypto transactions are irreversible. Thus, it is not possible to retrieve the lost funds.

I have received an email containing a malicious attachment, is my computer infected?

If you have not opened that attachment, your computer is safe. Recipients cannot infect computers without opening files or links presented in emails.

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

Yes, Combo Cleaner can detect and remove almost all known malware infections. High-end malware usually hides deep in the operating system. For this reason, running a full system scan is required to eliminate such malware.