How to avoid falling for scams like "DHL SHIPMENT REMINDER"
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on
What is "DHL SHIPMENT REMINDER"?
During our examination, we identified this email as a fraudulent attempt by scammers to obtain personal information. Disguised as a DHL reminder, the email contains a deceptive link leading to a phishing website that imitates DHL's official site. Therefore, recipients should disregard and avoid interacting with this email to safeguard their personal data.
More about the "DHL SHIPMENT REMINDER" scam email
This phishing email pretends to be from Deutsche Express, a logistics company and claims to be a shipment reminder. It states that there is an outstanding payment of 1.85 EUR related to the parcel delivery and urges recipients to settle the payment immediately to expedite the delivery process.
The email includes a link labeled "Ship now" to make the payment. However, this link is designed to lead recipients to a phishing website where scammers aim to steal their personal information. The purpose of this phishing email is to deceive recipients into believing that they have an actual package waiting for delivery and that they need to pay a small amount to receive it.
By creating a sense of urgency and providing a link to make the payment, the scammers aim to trick recipients into clicking on the link and providing their credit card details, which the scammers can then use for fraudulent purposes.
Once scammers obtain credit card details, they can misuse them to make unauthorized purchases online or in physical stores, draining the victim's bank account or maxing out their credit limit. Scammers can also sell stolen credit card information on the dark web, where other criminals may use it for fraudulent transactions or identity theft.
| Name | DHL SHIPMENT REMINDER Email Scam |
| Threat Type | Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud |
| Fake Claim | Payment must be made to expedite the delivery process |
| Related Domain | superbodyinfo[.]beauty |
| Detection Names (superbodyinfo[.]beauty) | Avira (Phishing), ESET (Phishing), Google Safebrowsing (Phishing), Seclookup (Malicious), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal) |
| Serving IP Address | 142.250.178.142 |
| Disguise | Letter from DHL |
| 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 Combo Cleaner. |
Similar scam emails in general
Such phishing emails often use urgent or alarming subject lines to grab the recipient's attention and create a sense of urgency. The emails typically impersonate well-known companies or institutions to appear legitimate, and they may include official logos and branding to deceive recipients.
Additionally, these emails usually contain links or attachments that lead to malicious websites or files designed to steal personal information, passwords, or financial data from the recipients. Moreover, emails can be used to deliver malware. Examples of similar emails are "Intuit QuickBooks Invoice", "Your Account Has Been Temporarily Disabled", and "Account Violation Detected".
How do spam campaigns infect computers?
Infecting computers through email occurs when users engage with harmful files or links in the messages they receive. These emails can contain a variety of file types, such as archives, executables, documents, JavaScript files, or ISO files, which may appear genuine or attractive to recipients.
When users execute, run, or open these files, the hidden malware within them becomes active and infects the computer. For instance, some malware may be disguised within seemingly harmless Microsoft Office documents that prompt users to grant permission to execute malicious macro commands upon opening.
How to avoid installation of malware?
Regularly update your operating system and programs with the latest versions and security patches. Be cautious when opening email attachments or links, especially if they originate from unfamiliar or suspicious sources. Install reliable antivirus software and keep it up to date to protect your device effectively.
Moreover, avoid downloading software from unreliable sources, and exercise caution when encountering pop-ups or advertisements on questionable websites. 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 "DHL SHIPMENT REMINDER" email letter:
Subject: Your package is waiting for delivery #zaxkahg8xrcxooznwzzks
Email preferences | Web-version
Deutsche Express
SHIPMENT REMINDER
Tracking number: CPF O57 2OO 664 645
In reference to your parcel delivery with Deutsche Express, we find it imperative to bring to your attention a crucial matter. Our records indicate an outstanding payment associated with your shipment, and we respectfully request your immediate attention to expedite the delivery process.
Payment Information:
Outstanding Amount: 1.85 EUR
Payment Due Date: 29.07.2023
Ship now
Screenshot of the fake DHL website:
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 DHL SHIPMENT REMINDER phishing campaign?
- 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.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Why did I receive this email?
Criminals send identical letters to thousands of recipients, relying on the hope that someone will be deceived by them. These spam emails are never tailored to individuals and lack personalization.
I have provided my credit card details when tricked by this email, what should I do?
Notify your bank or credit card company about the situation. They can observe your account for unauthorized transactions and may even block your card to prevent further misuse.
I have downloaded and opened a malicious file attached to an email, is my computer infected?
If the file you downloaded was executable, then it is highly likely that your system could have been infected. However, if it was a document file like .pdf or .doc, there is a chance that you might have avoided system infection.
I have read the email but did not open the attachment, is my computer infected?
Merely opening an email is safe and harmless. The real risk arises when you open links embedded within the email or any attached files.
Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections that were present in email attachment?
Combo Cleaner is proficient in identifying and removing nearly all known malware infections. Users should bear in mind that sophisticated malware often conceals itself deeply within the system. Consequently, a comprehensive full system scan is imperative to ensure complete removal.
Outstanding!
▼ Show Discussion