Do not trust the "BAPATOH OFFSHORE SDN BHD" phishing scam email
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on
"BAPATOH OFFSHORE SDN BHD" email scam removal guide
What is the "BAPATOH OFFSHORE SDN BHD" scam email?
"BAPATOH OFFSHORE SDN BHD" refers to an email spam campaign - a large-scale operation during which thousands of deceptive emails are sent. The scam letters distributed through this campaign - are presented as quotation requests. These emails promote a phishing website disguised as an Excel document attachment. Recipients are asked to sign into their email account to view the fake file. Instead, any log-in credentials (i.e., passwords) entered into this page are unintentionally disclosed to the scammers behind the "BAPATOH OFFSHORE SDN BHD" spam campaign.
The "BAPATOH OFFSHORE SDN BHD" scam emails (subject/title "Quotation Needed for Attached selected items"; may vary) request recipients' companies to provide a quotation in accordance with the attached document, which supposedly contains the product list. As mentioned in the introduction, these letters are illegitimate and designed to steal recipients' mail accounts. The emails contain links (presented as online view/ download attachment options), which redirect to a phishing site. The background of the webpage looks like a Microsoft Office Excel document. In the foreground is a pop-up window that requests recipients to sign-in with a valid email account to view the document. Email addresses and passwords entered into this website are recorded and sent to the scammers behind the "BAPATOH OFFSHORE SDN BHD", thereby allowing them to steal the corresponding mail accounts. Therefore, it is strongly advised against trusting these deceptive emails.
Email accounts are of particular interest to scammers/ cyber criminals - since they are typically connected to other platforms and services. Hence, through hijacked emails, access might be gained to accounts associated with them. For example, stolen communication platforms (e.g., emails, social networking, social media, messengers, etc.) can be used to ask contacts for loans - under the guise of the genuine account owner. Alternatively, such platforms can be used to spread malware by sharing infectious files and/or links. Accounts that deal with finances and financial information (e.g., banking, online money transferring, digital wallet, e-commerce, etc.) can be used to make fraudulent transactions and/or online purchases. To summarize, by trusting the "BAPATOH OFFSHORE SDN BHD" emails, users can experience severe privacy issues, financial losses, and identity theft. If attempts to sign-in via the phishing website have already been made, it is important to immediately change the passwords of endangered accounts. Additionally, it is recommended to contact the official support of potentially compromised emails and the connected accounts.
| Name | BAPATOH OFFSHORE SDN BHD Email Scam |
| Threat Type | Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud |
| Fake Claim | Scam emails are presented as quotation requests. |
| Symptoms | Unauthorized online purchases, changed online account passwords, identity theft, illegal access of the computer. |
| Distribution methods | Deceptive emails, rogue online pop-up ads, search engine poisoning techniques, misspelled domains. |
| Damage | Loss of sensitive private information, monetary loss, identity theft. |
| Malware Removal (Windows) | To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your computer with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Malwarebytes. |
"Password is about to expire today", "Your mailbox is full", "UNITED NATIONS COMPENSATION (COVID19 ASSISTED PROGRAM)", and "Mail Quota" are a few examples of other phishing spam campaigns. The deceptive letters are usually presented as "official", "urgent", "priority", "important", and similar. Through recipients' curiosity, interest, excitement, or alarm - these emails attempt to gain and afterwards abuse their trust. The sole goal of spam campaigns is to generate revenue for the scammers/ cyber criminals behind them. The mass-scale operations profit via malware proliferation, phishing and other scams. Due to how prevalent spam mail is, it is highly recommended to exercise caution with incoming emails.
How do spam campaigns infect computers?
Systems are infected via virulent files distributed through spam campaigns. Infectious files can be attached to the emails, and/or they can contain download links of malicious content. These files can be in various formats, e.g., Microsoft Office and PDF documents, archives (RAR, ZIP, etc.), executables (.exe, .run, etc.), JavaScript, and so forth. When the files are executed, run, or otherwise opened - the infection chain (i.e., malware download/installation) is triggered. For example, Microsoft Office documents infect systems by executing malicious macro commands. This process begins the moment a document is opened - in Microsoft Office versions released prior to 2010. Later versions have "Protected View" mode, which prevents automatic execution of macros. In these versions, users are asked to enable editing/content (i.e., macro commands) and warned of the potential risks.
How to avoid installation of malware?
Suspicious and irrelevant emails must not be opened, especially any attachments or links present in them. It is recommended to use Microsoft Office versions released after 2010. Aside from spam campaigns, malware is also distributed through untrustworthy download sources (e.g., unofficial and free file-hosting sites, Peer-to-Peer sharing networks, and other third-party downloaders), illegal activation ("cracking") tools, and fake updaters. Therefore, it is important to only use official and verified download channels. Furthermore, all programs have to be activated and updated with tools/functions provided by genuine developers. To ensure device and user safety, it is crucial to have a reputable anti-virus/anti-spyware suite installed. This software must be kept up-to-date, used to run regular system scans and remove detected threats/issues. If you've already opened malicious attachments, we recommend running a scan with Malwarebytes for Windows to automatically eliminate infiltrated malware.
Text presented in the "BAPATOH OFFSHORE SDN BHD" email letter:
Subject: Quotation Needed for Attached selected items
Attachment (56.9 KB) .
Online View Download
Hello,
Good Day!
We intend to invite your good company to quote the best price in our secure attached list of items:-
Please indicate our PR No. in your quotation.
TERMS & CONDITIONS
Delivery (EX-Kemaman) :-
Validity :-
Payment Terms :-
Thank You.
Best Regards,
JURFAHMI
(Project Manager)
BAPATOH OFFSHORE SDN BHD
(Formerly known as BROMAN ENGINEERING SDN BHD)
PT 6250, Tingkat 1,
Taman Samudera Timur,
Jalan Air Putih, 24000
Kemaman,
Terengganu Darul Iman,MALAYSIA.
TEL : +6016-708 4944
EMAIL : jurubina@unireka.com
Appearance of the "BAPATOH OFFSHORE SDN BHD" scam email (GIF):
Screenshot of the phishing website promoted through the "BAPATOH OFFSHORE SDN BHD" spam campaign:
Instant automatic malware removal:
Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced computer skills. Malwarebytes is a professional automatic malware removal tool that is recommended to get rid of malware. Download it by clicking the button below:
▼ DOWNLOAD Malwarebytes
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 Malwarebytes. 14 days free trial available.
Quick menu:
- What is "BAPATOH OFFSHORE SDN BHD email scam"?
- STEP 1. Manual removal of possible malware infections.
- STEP 2. Check if your computer is clean.
How to remove malware manually?
Manual malware removal is a complicated task - usually it is best to allow antivirus or anti-malware programs to do this automatically. To remove this malware we recommend using Malwarebytes for Windows. If you wish to remove malware manually, the first step is to identify the name of the malware that you are trying to remove. Here is an example of a suspicious program running on a user's computer:
If you checked the list of programs running on your computer, for example, using task manager, and identified a program that looks suspicious, you should continue with these steps:
Download a program called Autoruns. This program shows auto-start applications, Registry, and file system locations:
Restart your computer into Safe Mode:
Windows XP and Windows 7 users: Start your computer in Safe Mode. Click Start, click Shut Down, click Restart, click OK. During your computer start process, press the F8 key on your keyboard multiple times until you see the Windows Advanced Option menu, and then select Safe Mode with Networking from the list.
Video showing how to start Windows 7 in "Safe Mode with Networking":
Windows 8 users: Start Windows 8 is Safe Mode with Networking - Go to Windows 8 Start Screen, type Advanced, in the search results select Settings. Click Advanced startup options, in the opened "General PC Settings" window, select Advanced startup. Click the "Restart now" button. Your computer will now restart into the "Advanced Startup options menu". Click the "Troubleshoot" button, and then click the "Advanced options" button. In the advanced option screen, click "Startup settings". Click the "Restart" button. Your PC will restart into the Startup Settings screen. Press F5 to boot in Safe Mode with Networking.
Video showing how to start Windows 8 in "Safe Mode with Networking":
Windows 10 users: Click the Windows logo and select the Power icon. In the opened menu click "Restart" while holding "Shift" button on your keyboard. In the "choose an option" window click on the "Troubleshoot", next select "Advanced options". In the advanced options menu select "Startup Settings" and click on the "Restart" button. In the following window you should click the "F5" button on your keyboard. This will restart your operating system in safe mode with networking.
Video showing how to start Windows 10 in "Safe Mode with Networking":
Extract the downloaded archive and run the Autoruns.exe file.
In the Autoruns application, click "Options" at the top and uncheck "Hide Empty Locations" and "Hide Windows Entries" options. After this procedure, click the "Refresh" icon.
Check the list provided by the Autoruns application and locate the malware file that you want to eliminate.
You should write down its full path and name. Note that some malware hides process names under legitimate Windows process names. At this stage, it is very important to avoid removing system files. After you locate the suspicious program you wish to remove, right click your mouse over its name and choose "Delete".
After removing the malware through the Autoruns application (this ensures that the malware will not run automatically on the next system startup), you should search for the malware name on your computer. Be sure to enable hidden files and folders before proceeding. If you find the filename of the malware, be sure to remove it.
Reboot your computer in normal mode. Following these steps should remove any malware from your computer. Note that manual threat removal requires advanced computer skills. If you do not have these skills, leave malware removal to antivirus and anti-malware programs. These steps might not work with advanced malware infections. As always it is best to prevent infection than try to remove malware later. To keep your computer safe, install the latest operating system updates and use antivirus software.
To be sure your computer is free of malware infections, we recommend scanning it with Malwarebytes for Windows.
Outstanding!
Click to post a comment