Avoid infecting your device via "Accounts & Export Depart" scam email

What is the "Accounts & Export Depart" scam email?

"Accounts & Export Depart email virus" is the name of a malware-spreading spam campaign. The term "spam campaign" defines a mass-scale operation during which thousands of deceptive/scam emails are sent.

The letters distributed through this campaign - are presented as notifications about overdue invoices. The file attached to these emails contains FormBook malware. When the attachment is opened - download/installation of the malicious program is triggered.

The "Accounts & Export Depart" scam emails (subject/title "OUTSTANDING PAYMENT REMINDER"; may vary) informs recipients that they have an overdue unpaid invoice, amounting to 48,481.00 US dollars. Recipients are asked to review the attached invoice. It must be emphasized that all of the information provided by these deceptive letters - is false.

Therefore, when users open the attachment - they inadvertently initiate FormBook malware's infection process. FormBook is designed to steal information.

It targets system and user information, and it can extract data from browsers and other installation applications. Information of interest includes: browsing activity, account/platform log-in credentials (i.e., usernames and passwords), IP addresses/ geolocations, personally identifiable details, and so on.

Furthermore, this malicious program can cause chain infections. In other words, it can download/install additional trojans, ransomware, cryptocurrency miners, and other malware.

Hence, in addition to severe privacy issues, users can also experience data loss, hardware damage, financial losses, and identity theft. If it is suspected/known that FormBook (or other malware) has already infected the system - it is crucial to immediately remove it.

Threat Summary:

Name	Accounts & Export Depart spam
Threat Type	Trojan, password-stealing virus, banking malware, spyware.
Hoax	Scam emails claim recipients have an overdue unpaid invoice.
Attachment(s)	OUTSTANDING PAYMENT REMINDER.pdf.z containing OUTSTANDING PAYMENT REMINDER.exe (filenames may vary)
Detection Names	Avast (FileRepMalware), DrWeb (Trojan.Loader.809), ESET-NOD32 (Win32/Formbook.AA), Kaspersky (UDS:DangerousObject.Multi.Generic), Microsoft (Trojan:Script/Phonzy.B!ml), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Symptoms	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	FormBook
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.
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.

"OCEANIC PROJECTS Email Virus", "CARGO ARRIVAL NOTICE", "Bank Payment Copy", "WMS Technologies Email Virus", and "Employee Retention Credit" are some examples of malware-proliferating spam campaigns.

This deceptive mail is typically presented as "urgent", "official", "important", "priority", and similar. These emails are not used exclusively to distribute malicious software.

They are also employed to facilitate phishing and other scams. Therefore, it is strongly advised to exercise caution with incoming emails.

How did "Accounts & Export Depart" email virus infect my computer?

Spam campaigns spread malware via malicious files distributed through them. These files can be attached to and/or linked inside the emails.

Infectious files can be in various formats, e.g., Microsoft Office and PDF documents, archives (ZIP, RAR, etc.), executables (.exe, .run, etc.), JavaScript, and so forth. When the files are executed, run, or otherwise opened - the infection process is initiated.

For example, Microsoft Office documents infect systems by executing malicious macro commands. This process starts the moment a document is opened in Microsoft Office versions released before 2010.

Later versions have "Protected View" mode that prevents automatic execution of macros. Instead, users can manually enable editing/content (i.e., macro commands), and they are warned of the risks.

How to avoid installation of malware?

To avoid infecting the system via spam mail, it is advised against opening suspicious and/or irrelevant emails - 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 proliferated through dubious download channels (e.g., unofficial and free file-hosting websites, Peer-to-Peer sharing networks, and other third-party downloaders), illegal activation ("cracking") tools, and fake updates. Therefore, it is important to perform downloads only from official and verified sources.

Additionally, all programs must be activated and updated with tools/functions provided by legitimate developers. It is crucial to have a dependable anti-virus/anti-spyware suite installed and kept updated.

This software has to be used to run regular system scans and remove detected threats and issues. If you've already opened "Accounts & Export Depart" attachment, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate infiltrated malware.

Text presented in the "Accounts & Export Depart" scam email letter:

Subject: OUTSTANDING PAYMENT REMINDER

 

Dear sir/Madam,

Kindly reply about our attached overdue pending invoice having no 201100039 dated 09-04-2021 amounted to USD 48,481.00

Please reply ASAA

Thanks And Regards

M. Ahmed Bilwani
Cell No: +92-321-626621
Accounts & Export Depart

Shekhani Industries
Plot # F-17, Maripur Road, S.I.T.E

Karachi-Pakistan 75840
Voice:+92(21) 32079404~5(2 Lines),

Off Mob.+92 300 8410483
Cell # +92 324 2563503

Appearance of the "Accounts & Export Depart" scam email (GIF):

Screenshot of VirusTotal detections of the malicious attachment distributed via "Accounts & Export Depart" spam campaign ("OUTSTANDING PAYMENT REMINDER.exe"):

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:
▼ DOWNLOAD Combo Cleaner 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 read more.

Quick menu:

• What is Accounts & Export Depart spam?
• 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.

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