How to spot fake emails like "Donation From Lottery Winner"

What kind of scam is "Donation From Lottery Winner"?

After reviewing this email, we found that it was sent by scammers who aim to extort money and (or) information from recipients. It is disguised as a letter from someone who supposedly won a lottery and is willing to share the prize with others. Recipients should ignore this scam email.

More about the "Donation From Lottery Winner" scam email

Scammers behind this letter pretend to be Thomas Yi Mega, who recently won a substantial amount in the Powerball jackpot. They claim that this person is willing to share his good fortune with the community by making generous donations to randomly selected individuals.

They state that the recipient of this letter has been chosen to receive 4 million dollars. In order to accept the donation, the recipient is prompted to respond to the provided email address (bisah958@gmail.com).

Typically, scammers behind such scams aim to trick people into sending money (e.g., paying an "administration" fee) or personal information in exchange for a large sum of money. People who fall for such scams never receive any money. On the contrary, they lose money and (or) become victims of identity theft or encounter other problems.

Similar scam emails in general

Scammers behind scam emails usually try to obtain credit card details, ID card information, social security numbers, login credentials, or other information and (or) extract money from unsuspecting recipients. They pretend to be real people or legitimate companies, organizations, or other entities.

Examples of scam emails are "New Security Features Email Scam", "Fund Transfer Assistance Email Scam", and "Thank You For Shopping With Apple Email Scam". Cybercriminals also use email to lure recipients into infecting computers with malware.

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Threat actors who use email to deliver malware seek to trick recipients into downloading and executing malware by themselves. They send malicious files or links to pages hosting malware. Examples of files used to distribute malware are malicious MS Office, PDF documents, archives, JavaScript, executables, and ISO files.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Avoid opening links and files in irrelevant emails sent from unknown addresses. Emails of this kind could contain malware. Download software from reputable sources such as official pages and verified stores. Do not click ads displayed on questionable websites.

Keep the operating system and installed software updated. Never use third-party tools to update (and activate) any software. Use reputed antivirus software. Scan a computer for threats regularly. If you've already opened malicious attachments, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate infiltrated malware.

Text presented in the "Donation From Lottery Winner" email letter:

Subject: Donations

Greetings to you,

I am Thomas Yi Mega, A Resident of Land O' Lakes, Florida, USA. W0n $ 235.4 milliion in the Powerball jackpot and the Monney has transformed my l I f e.

After proper consultation with my family and advisers, I have decided to do some good work for the community by donating some amounts to randomly selected individuals for the good of our community. In regards to this generosity, we want you and your family to be as joyful as we are Happy, So on behalf of myself and my family we have decided to make a donation of $ 4,000,000(Mi11ion) U S do11ars to you and your family you can also reach out to those in need in your community.
Your email was randomly chosen and you are very lucky as you are the recipient of the highest amount we are giving out. P l e a s e make sure you use these funds for judicious purposes. Be assured that you stand no risk as this is my m0ney,

Even after matching a l l six numbers, I was in disbelief and took my ticket to a retailer to have it checked when I found out that I have w0n. I am making this donation as a channel of giving back to the community and I hope you will help spread the hand of generosity to others in the community after getting your donation.
This donation of $ 4 mi11ion is made out to enable you to strengthen your personal issues and generously extend hands of help to the less privileged, orphans and charity organizations within your locality.

Kindly Forward your message of acceptance to: bisah958@gmail.com

Best Regards.
Thomas Yi Mega

Other examples of emails claiming that the sender is going to donate millions of dollars:

Sample 1:

Text presented within:

Subject: God is with you

 

Hello,
 
I am pleased to get across to you through email, I got your email address in Internet while browsing after I decided to contact you as my spirit lead me to do so, I might not know your present conduction and what you are going through in life but I believed that this money will be of good help to you and your family, I am Mrs Lerynne West I am a native of New York City, United State of America, I share among individual around the world because money is not everything in life, I may not know you, but I believe if you receive my first email and respond back meaning you were chosen to receive my donation of [$1,300.000.00 USD] which will be transfer to you as soon as you respond back to me now, I am a Christian and I believe that Good things happens to good people like you who had the mind to respond back to my mail. This is not a scam as you think.This is for real and i give you my 100%
guarantee because am not here for games

I won $343.900,000 Million Dollars Jackpot in New York and I decided to make sure my winning is put on the internet for the world to see as you could see from the web page here CLICK HERE TO WATCH ME NOW ;
 
-

After taken care of the needs of our immediate family members, we decided to donate the remaining of the fund to other individuals around the world in need, the local fire department, the Red Cross, hospitals and some other organizations in Asia and Europe that fight cancer, I would love to introduce my self more and also show you picture of me and my family but firstly I want to hear from you if my gift of [$1,300.000.00 USD] is accepted by you before I proceed.
THIS IS YOUR DONATION CODE: [ IN GOD WE TRUST ]

Send me back the DONATION CODE by responding back to this email  , I shall send you more emails as soon as I get the donation code back from you

Thank you for accepting our offer, we are indeed grateful. We anticipate your earliest response.
Best Regard
Lerynne West

Sample 2:

Text presented within:

Subject: Greatings

 

Greetings to you,
 
I am Mr. Roy Cockrum, I decided to make my donation to Charity
and Individuals as God has lead me to and i told some Ministers
about this which they said was a welcome idea and promised they
will get me a list of some people that my donation will help
their lives and put smile in the face of the needy, I decided to
select myself by going to Microsoft/Google to make research.

I won the largest Powerball jackpot ever in Tennessee lottery
history, be assured that you stand no risk as this is my money,
for source and verification read more about me by clicking this
link:-

Based on the win we decided that just 100 people be selected for
this benefit, leaving each beneficiary with $372,000 each to
better their lives because we can't enjoy it all alone, as the
win is for sharing.

May the Good Lord bless you.
E-mail: roycockrum@roycockrumfoundation.xyz
© Roy Cockrum Foundation

Sample 3:

Text presented within:

Subject: Re: Very Important & Urgent/Please do not Ignore

Attn: Sir/Madam,

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN

Attached herewith this message is a very Important issue that requires your urgent attention. Kindly read the attached message and contact us urgently.

Very truly yours,
Mr. Edwin Castro

Screenshot of the attached PDF document offering the donation:

Text presented within:

To: You Lucky Winner/Email Owner,
For brief introduction, my name is Mr. Edwin Castro, the current winner of US$2.04 Billion in a
Powerball jackpot on the Feb 14, 2023 Powerball draw, You might be surprised receiving this email from
me but I want you to know I'm donating the sum of US$1 Million to 50 random lucky individuals worldwide
and if you get this email, then your email was selected by our random computer selection system. I have
shared most of my wealth to some charity organizations globally. I have voluntarily decided to donate
the sum of US$1,000,000 (One Million United States Dollars) to you as one of the selected 50 random
lucky individuals worldwide. To verify my winnings, please visit the official Guinness World Records
website at the following link: hxxps://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/ne ... ket-738096
Firstly, I must express my gratitude for your willingness to accept this donation and assist us with our
charitable cause. I was never a believer of luck until I won the lottery, and the same luck that drew me
to this fortune has pushed me into committing part of this fortune to charity. The US$1,000,000 (One
Million United States Dollars) donation we are offering to you might not be too much for you or your
business but I believe it's enough to assist you in helping others to keep humanity alive, even in the
face of this global economic crisis. We have chosen you to be a part of these blessings. We believe
these funds will financially improve your family’s wellbeing especially in this hard times. I will
advise you keep this to yourself until the donation gets to you.
After spending much of my money in luxurious lifestyle in California, I was advised by my family to
channel part of my wealth into investment for better tomorrow and also charity/giving to the lessprivileged. As the result, I channelled more than 50% of my investments to South Africa as the place of
birth of my Grand Mother and a Virgin Land for Investment. In that case, your payment is scheduled to be
done from South Africa. So, to facilitate the payment of this donation fund to you, please contact the
payment contractor, Mr. Isaac Bhebhe, E-mail Address: ibhebhe444@gmail.com Mobile: +27-63-445-5330. Due
to his busy schedule, it is advisable to reach out to him as soon as possible.
Kindly furnish him with the following information to ensure a smooth process:
Full Names:
Age:
Gender:
Address:
Country:
Occupation:
Office and Personal Phone Numbers:
I sincerely hope that this donation brings happiness to you and your family as I wish you a joyous
celebration in advance.
Best Regards.
Mr. Edwin Castro.
Remain Blessed Charity Donation.
Our Beneficiaries are as follows: Heart Foundations for heart related problems, Victims of Wars and Other Global Conflicts,
Natural Causes and Natural Disasters such as, epidemics, Tsunamis, earthquakes, storms, typhoons and floods, Orphanages and less
privileged homes, motherless babies homes, old aged homes and Victims of Incurable diseases.
Note: If you find this email in your SPAM/JUNK folder, it may be due to restrictions imposed by your Internet Service Provider.
Please consider moving it to your inbox and treat it as a genuine message.

Sample 4:

Text presented within:

Subject: RE

 

Hello,

I am Manuel Franco, you have a donation of $2,800,000.00 (Two Million Eight Hundred Thousand Dollars). I won the $768 million Powerball lottery in the states. I am donating part of it to five lucky people and Ten Charity Organizations.

Your email was randomly selected from the Microsoft email list database. If you are interested in this, contact me urgently for your claim and MORE INFORMATION.

I am doing this to help cushion the effects of COVID-19 on people. I am doing my best to put a smile on the faces of everyone in the world, in every way I can.

Best Regards,

Mr. Manuel

Sample 5:

Text presented within:

Subject: Donation

 

Hello am Shane Missler i have a donation for you worth 5,800,000.00EUR. I won the America powerball jackpot and i am donating a portion of it to five lucky people and charity homes in memory of your late mother who died of cancer. Contact me for more details
Via EmAil : misslershane63@gmail.com
Telephone: +1 323-904-9024
WhatsApp: +4670-449-7301

Sample 6:

Text presented within:

Attention: Dear Brother / Sister,
I, Mr. Adrian Bayford who won £148,656,000.00 GBP (One Hundred and Forty Eight Million, Six
Hundred and Fifty Six Thousand Great Britain Pounds) on the 10th day of August 2012 from Euro
Millions Lottery jackpot. My Wife and I have done a lots of Charity Donations around the world, but this
beginning of the year 2025 we have decided to give out £1,000,000.00 GBP( One Million Great British
Pounds Only) each to 10(Ten) lucky people around the world.
This is to mark beginning of the Year Windfall 2025 lucky for you; your email address was given to us by
Random Internet Search as one of our lucky recipients. For verification process download this link and read
about us - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2187999/
Kindly contact our payout office in the Republic of South Africa with your below personal details and be rest
assured that they are waiting to hear from you to enable them guide you with the releasing process
immediately you receive this email.
Full Names:
Full Address:
Nationality:
Profession
Date of Birth:
Country of resident:
Telephone Number:
Mobile Number:
Fax Number:
Contact them at our South Africa Windfall office with their below contact details for easy collection of your
£1,000,000.00 GBP.
Full Names: Dr. Phil Chamberlin
Position Held: Payout Manager
Telephone Number: +27 (0) 718440314
Fax Number: +27 (0) 718440314
Email Address :{ xbzxeuk@outlook.com}
Finally, do use the above information to contact them and please for GOD sake if you do not feel
comfortable about this beginningof the Year Windfall from Mr. and Mrs. Bayford, delete it
immediately, as our motto in this world since GOD blessed us in this manner is to help eradicate
poverty in this world in our own little way.
Thank you so much for been part of our wonderful celebration in this year 2025.
MR. ADRIAN AND GILLIAN BAYFORD,
(FOR THE FAMILY)

Sample 6:

Text presented within:

Subject: IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Congratulations,

We know that a little financial support can go a Long Way.

I'm Thomas Yi, the Winner of the $235.4 million jackpot prize held on March 27, 2021. here is a verification webpage

-

My Jackpot win was a gift from God to my Family Hence my entire Family has agreed to do this
We are donating 50% of the money to Help individuals and Small Scale Businesses around the world.

We got your email from Google business contact listings will be donating Five Million United state dollars to you Please accept this Token as a Gift from Me and My Family.

Get Back to us with an acceptance note if accepted otherwise disregard this message.

Thomas Yi Family
Email: thomasyi2023@gmail.com

Sample 7:

Text presented within:

Subject: Just my simple way to share love

Hello,
I'm Edwin Castro, winner of the $2.04 billion America Powerball jackpot. I feel blessed and want to share some of my winnings through a personal giveaway to few lucky individuals and charity homes in memory of my late mother who died of cancer. Your email was randomly selected to receive USD 450,000.00. Congratulations!

This is my humble way of giving back and showing my gratitude to humanity. The giveaway is completely free — no fees, no catches — just a simple way to share love and make a positive difference. To receive the giveaway, kindly send your full name and phone number to my manager at: info@smsm-it.net
Best regards,
Edwin Castro

Instant automatic malware removal:

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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?

As a rule, such letters are not personal. Scammers send the same letter to everyone (all recipients receive the same email).

I have provided my personal information when tricked by this email, what should I do?

If you have provided login credentials (e.g., usernames and passwords), change all passwords immediately. If scammers have obtained your credit card details, ID card information, social security number, or other details, contact corresponding authorities as soon as possible.

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

Malicious files do not always infect computers immediately after opening them. It depends on the file type. For instance, malicious MS Office documents infect computers after enabling macros commands.

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

Unfortunately, crypto transactions are irreversible. Therefore, it is impossible to retrieve transferred crypto funds.

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

It is safe to open emails without opening links or files in them.

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

Combo Cleaner will scan a computer for threats and remove detected malware. This app is capable of detecting almost all known malware. High-end malware usually hides deep in the system. Thus, computers must be scanned using a full system scan to eliminate such malware.