How to spot scams like "cPanel Password Notification" fake email

What kind of scam is "cPanel Password Notification"?

Our inspection of the email has revealed that it is a fake letter disguised as a notification from a website hosting service provider. It contains a link that leads to a phishing website created to steal personal information. Recipients should ignore such emails to avoid the associated risks.

More about the "cPanel Password Notification" scam email

This phishing email claims to be a "cPanel password notification". It informs the recipient about four pending messages. It states that the account password will expire in 24 hours and provides an option to "Keep the Same Password" to extend it for six months. Its aim is to trick recipients into clicking the provided link and revealing personal information.

The website included in this fraudulent email is a fake Webmail login site prompting users to provide an email address and password (email account login credentials) to log in. With this information, scammers can access email accounts, harvest personal information, send scam emails, deliver malware, and more.

They can also try to access other accounts, such as social media, banking, or gaming accounts, and misuse them for malicious purposes. Therefore, it is important to examine emails before opening links or attachments to avoid identity theft, monetary loss, or other issues.

Similar scam emails in general

Scams like this are designed to deceive recipients into revealing sensitive information by mimicking legitimate services. Scammers seek to trick users into clicking fraudulent links and entering their login credentials or other personal information (or disclosing it directly via email). This can lead to unauthorized access to email accounts and potentially other services.

Sometimes, such emails can be used to distribute malware. Users should always verify the authenticity of emails before interacting with links or attachments to avoid any negative consequences. Some examples of phishing emails are "Undelivered Email Reports", "Your Document Has Been Held In A Queue", and "Unsuccessful Mail Delivery Report".

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

In cases where threat actors use email to spread malware, they attach malicious files or send fraudulent links. These attachments tend to be executables (like .exe), Office documents, PDFs, compressed archives (ZIP or RAR), scripts, or ISO images. The malware is triggered when the recipient opens the file or performs specific actions, like enabling macros in an infected document.

Alternatively, such emails can contain links designed to open malicious websites. These sites may automatically deliver malware to the system or deceive users into downloading it themselves (e.g., through misleading prompts or fake updates).

How to avoid installation of malware?

Be careful when dealing with unexpected, irrelevant emails and other messages, especially from unfamiliar sources. Avoid clicking on links or opening attachments/files in such messages. When downloading software or files, stick to reputable sources like official websites or verified app stores.

Do not trust pop-ups, ads, or untrusted links on shady websites. Ensure your operating system and software are regularly updated, and protect your device with trusted antivirus tools to minimize the risk of infection. 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 "cPanel Password Notification" email letter:

Subject: ttention Required: - Notification of 4 pending messages.

cPanel Password Notification

Account: -
Registered Domain: -
Notification Purpose: Password Expires in 24 hours
Date: Friday, May 16, 2025

Keep the Same Password. Skip Till 6 Months

Thank you for going paperless.

Phishing website used in this scam:

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Quick menu:

• What is cPanel Password Notification 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?

It is likely that your email address was collected from a data breach, an untrustworthy site, or a similar source. The message you received is part of a scam campaign and not directed at you.

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

If scammers have gained access to your email login credentials, it is important to immediately change the passwords for your email and any other accounts that might be affected. Additionally, contact the service providers of those accounts to inform them of the potential breach.

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

The risk of malware infection depends on the type of the attached file. Harmful attachments can compromise a system if the user opens them or takes additional actions, such as enabling macros in a malicious document, that trigger the malware.

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

Opening an email alone is generally safe. The danger arises when the user clicks on a harmful link or opens a malicious attachment included in the message.

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

Combo Cleaner can detect and eliminate most known malware threats. However, some advanced infections may be more difficult to detect as they can hide deep within the system. Thus, running a full system scan is highly recommended.