How to spot scam emails like "Wells Fargo - Important Security Check"

What is "Wells Fargo - Important Security Check" scam?

Our inspection of the email has revealed that it is a phishing email. It is disguised as a message from Wells Fargo Bank regarding an account security check. The email contains a link to a fake web page designed to extract personal information from unsuspecting users. If received, this email should be ignored.

More about the "Wells Fargo - Important Security Check" scam email

This scam email claims to be from Wells Fargo and informs the recipient that their access to online banking has been locked and is currently under review due to a "security check". The message urges the recipient to follow specific steps to unlock their account and secure their online banking.

It warns that all incoming and outgoing transactions may be canceled until the account verification process is completed and verified. The email instructs the recipient to click a link to receive a one-time verification code to confirm their identity. Clicking the link leads to a fake web page designed to steal usernames and passwords.

With stolen usernames and passwords obtained through the deceptive site, scammers may gain access to a victim’s Wells Fargo online banking account. They may view sensitive financial information, transfer funds, and potentially drain the account. Scammers may also try to access other accounts, such as social media or email, and use them for malicious purposes (e.g., sending malware or scam emails).

Thus, it is highly advisable to be careful when receiving such emails to avoid the associated risks.

Similar scam emails in general

These types of emails often mimic legitimate institutions to appear convincing. Scammers use them to trick recipients into disclosing sensitive information (e.g., login credentials or credit card details), often through fake websites. Users can avoid falling for scams by carefully inspecting such messages for red flags (e.g., poor grammar, suspicious links, and unsolicited requests).

Examples of similar emails are "SumUp - Update Your Profile", "Mailbox Capacity Reduced", and "Reviewing Account To Improve Server Effectiveness And Security". Sometimes, these emails can be used to distribute malware.

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Threat actors often use email to distribute malware by attaching malicious files. These usually are infected executables, ZIP archives, MS Office documents, PDFs, ISO images, or script files. Interacting with these attachments (e.g., opening malicious executables or enabling macros in infected MS Office documents) can trigger the malware to run on the victim's device.

In other cases, the email may contain misleading links that direct recipients to malicious websites. These sites might automatically initiate a download or trick users into launching the malware manually.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Links and attachments in unsolicited or irrelevant emails from unknown addresses should not be opened. It is also advisable to utilize reputable security software and perform regular system scans. Software and applications should be downloaded only from official websites or trusted app stores.

Furthermore, users should refrain from interacting with pop-ups, advertisements, or other elements on dubious pages and never allow such sites to send notifications. Additionally, the operating system and all installed programs should be kept up to date. 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 "Wells Fargo - Important Security Check" email letter:

Subject: Action Required ! Secure Your Account

Wells Fargo
Important Security Check
Your access to Wells Fargo online banking has been locked and under review for security check. Please follow steps to unlock access and secure your online banking.
* We may cancel all incoming and outgoing transactions untill account verification process is completec and verified.

Login here to receive a one-time verification code to validate identity

You may also visit the nearest branch to resolve issue.
If you have questions about your account, please refer to the contact information on your statement. For questions about viewing your statements or making a payment online, Wells Fargo Online Customer Service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call us at 1-800-954-4442.
wellsfargo.com | Security Center | Contact Us
Please do not reply to this automated email.

Screenshot of the fake website used to steal login credentials:

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Quick menu:

• What is Wells Fargo - Important Security Check 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?

Your email address was likely harvested through a data leak, an untrustworthy website, or a similar method. Scam emails are usually not personalized (all recipients receive the same message).

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

Promptly update any passwords that may have been compromised. If you encounter difficulty accessing accounts, reach out to the relevant service provider to report the problem and seek assistance.

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

Malicious attachments can result in infection if opened or interacted with further. However, not all files cause immediate damage. The risk of infection varies depending on the type of file that was accessed.

I have read the email but didn't open the attachment, is my computer infected?

Merely reading or opening an email is usually harmless. Malware typically infects a system only when the recipient clicks on malicious links or opens compromised attachments within the email.

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

Combo Cleaner can detect and remove most known malware infections. However, advanced threats tend to embed themselves deep within the system, making them more difficult to detect. Therefore, running a thorough system scan is advisable.