How to spot scam campaigns like "Intuit QuickBooks Database Encryption Upgrade"

What is "Intuit QuickBooks Database Encryption Upgrade"?

After careful analysis, it has been established that this email intends to entice recipients to open the attached file and submit their personal information. This email is disguised as correspondence from Intuit, an American business software company. Such emails, often referred to as phishing emails, are a common form of online deception.

More about the "Intuit QuickBooks Database Encryption Upgrade" scam email

In this email, the sender claims that they have recently enhanced the database encryption for QuickBooks to bolster security for online payments. Recipients are urged to download a secure attachment to safeguard their QuickBooks account. The message reassures users that they will be promptly notified of any account activity to ensure its safety.

The email is signed as being from the Intuit Team and features a security logo, emphasizing the importance of checking links for "intuit[.]com/" in the address. The recipients are advised not to reply to the email and are directed to a "security.intuit[.]com/phishing" FAQ site for more information.

It closes with the standard legal and copyright information, indicating that the email is sent on behalf of Intuit, Inc. The file attached to this email is named "QuickBook_Security_Update.html" (though its name might differ). Its purpose is to launch a deceptive form, prompting users to log in with their Outlook credentials, including an email address and password.

When scammers successfully deceive users into providing their email addresses and passwords through fraudulent emails, they gain unauthorized access to the victims' accounts. This, in turn, opens the door to a range of malicious activities.

Scammers can misuse the stolen credentials to compromise the user's email account, often using it as a launching pad for various cyberattacks, such as spreading malware or launching phishing campaigns to target the victim's contacts.

Additionally, they might exploit the accessed accounts for financial gain, attempting to steal sensitive information or perpetrate fraudulent activities. The unauthorized access can have severe consequences, both in terms of privacy violations and potential financial losses for the victims.

Threat Summary:

Name	Intuit QuickBooks Database Encryption Upgrade Email Scam
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Fake Claim	Recipients must download a secure attachment to safeguard their QuickBooks account
Attachment	QuickBook_Security_Update.html
Detection Names (Attachment)	Avast (HTML:Phishing-CJK [Phish]), AVG (HTML:Phishing-CJK [Phish]), Fortinet (HTML/Agent.ECU!tr), Ikarus (Phishing.HTML.Doc), Microsoft (TrojanDownloader:Win32/Nemucod!ml), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Disguise	Letter from the Intuit company
Symptoms	Unauthorized online purchases, changed online account passwords, and other suspicious activities.
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, hijacked online accounts.
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.

Similar scam emails in general

Emails of this kind typically share common traits aimed at deceiving recipients. They often appear as official or urgent communications from well-known organizations, banks, or service providers, attempting to establish trust. The messages frequently employ a sense of urgency or fear to prompt immediate action, such as clicking links or downloading attachments.

They usually urge recipients to provide personal or sensitive information, such as passwords or financial details, under the pretext of security measures or updates. It is important to note that such emails can be used to lure recipients into opening malicious files or links.

Examples of phishing campaigns are "Voicemail Message Received", "PayPal - Unauthorized Transaction", and "We Are Interested In Your Company Products".

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Infections may be initiated when users open email attachments that conceal malicious software. These attachments, which may appear harmless at first glance, can quietly release malware once accessed. For example, even seemingly benign documents or PDF files can carry hidden malware.

Certain emails coax recipients into enabling macros in attached documents, often masquerading as a requirement for document functionality. However, enabling these macros can activate concealed malicious scripts that infect the user's system.

Another common method of infection occurs when users click on malicious links within emails. These links can redirect them to harmful websites where malware can infiltrate through various means, including automatic downloads without user consent (known as drive-by downloads).

How to avoid installation of malware?

Safeguard your computer by downloading files and programs solely from trusted, official sources or reputable stores. Stay clear of potentially risky sources. When dealing with ads on dubious websites, exercise caution and be especially attentive when handling emails containing links or attachments, especially if they seem irrelevant or unexpected and come from unknown senders.

Keep your operating system and all installed applications up to date, ensuring that you have the latest security patches. Bolster your computer's security using trustworthy antivirus software, which provides additional protection against malware.

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 "Intuit QuickBooks Database Encryption Upgrade" email letter:

Subject: Security Alert On Your Quickbook Account

INTUIT

turbotax quickbooks mint

Hi -

Due to the recent upgrade on our database encryption. QuickBooks have added more security features to secure online payments from all un-authorized users.

Please download the secure attachment to secure your quickbook account.

We'll always let you know when there is any activity on your account. This helps keep your account safe.

Thanks,
Intuit Team
security logo     Check before you click!
Intuit will never ask you for personal information in an email.
When you click on a link, the address should always contain "intuit.com/".

Visit the security.intuit.com/phishing FAQ site to learn more.

Don't reply to this email. It was automatically generated.
Legal Privacy Security
 

© 2023 Intuit, Inc. All rights reserved.
Intuit, QuickBooks, QB, TurboTax, ProConnect and Mint are registered trademarks of Intuit, Inc.
Terms and conditions, features, support, pricing, and service options subject to change without notice.

Screenshot of the fake form in the attachment:

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 Intuit QuickBooks Database Encryption Upgrade phishing email?
• 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?

Scammers send identical messages to multiple recipients with the intention of deceiving at least one recipient. These spam emails lack personalization.

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

If you have unwittingly provided your email address and password in response to a deceptive email, it is crucial to take immediate action to secure your accounts. Begin by changing your email account password and any other accounts that share the same or similar passwords. Also, monitor your accounts for suspicious activity and be cautious of future emails or messages from unknown or unverified sources.

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

The file attached to this email is created to lure recipients into disclosing personal information. However, it does not infect computers. Although, files and links received from cybercriminals via email can be malicious.

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

Simply opening an email poses no harm on its own. The risk of system infections occurs when one clicks on links within the email or opens attached files.

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

Combo Cleaner can effectively identify and eliminate the majority of known malware infections. However, it is important to note that advanced malware often hides deeply within the system. As a result, performing a comprehensive system scan is crucial to guarantee thorough detection and removal.

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