How to identify fake "Unrecognized Lоgіn Attempt" emails

What kind of email is "Unrecognized Lоgіn Attempt"?

After inspecting this "Unrecognized Lоgіn Attempt" email, we learned that it is spam. This message alerts the recipient of a suspicious sign-in to their account. The spam campaign in question aims to extract recipients' email account log-in credentials through a phishing site.

"Unrecognized Lоgіn Attempt" email scam overview

This spam email is presented as an alert from cPanel. It informs the recipient that their account was accessed from an unrecognized device or location. No action needs to be taken if the recipient recognizes this activity. However, if they do not – they are instructed to complete a verification process to protect their account.

It must be stressed that the information in this email is false, and this mail is not associated with cPanel or any other legitimate service providers.

The phishing website promoted by this spam campaign imitates the recipient's email account sign-in page. By attempting to log in through this webpage – users unintentionally expose their accounts to scammers.

Hijacked emails can be variously misused; cyber criminals can even try to steal linked accounts, platforms, and services (e.g., social networking/media, messengers, chats, e-commerce, money transferring, banking, cryptocurrency wallets, etc.).

Scammers may steal the account owner's identity and request loans or donations from contacts/friends/followers, endorse scams, and proliferate malware by sharing malicious links/files. What is more, criminals can use hijacked finance-related accounts to make fraudulent transactions and online purchases.

To summarize, victims of scam mail like "Unrecognized Lоgіn Attempt" can experience serious privacy issues, financial losses, and even identity theft.

If you have already entered your log-in credentials into a phishing site or file – immediately change the passwords of all potentially compromised accounts and inform their official support.

Phishing spam campaign examples

We have investigated thousands of spam campaigns; "Aetna Sent You A Secure Message", "Your Account Will Be Cancelled", "Suspicious Logins To Your Mailbox", and "Incoming Messages Held In Quarantine" are just a few of our newest articles on phishing emails.

In addition to log-in credentials, these messages commonly target personally identifiable information and finance-related data. However, various scams are promoted through spam mail (e.g., sextortion, tech support, advance fee, refund, etc.). It is also utilized in malware proliferation.

Due to how widespread this mail is and how well-made it can be – we highly recommend vigilance with incoming emails, DMs/PMs, SMSes, and other messages.

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Malware is often spread through spam campaigns. This method involves infectious files that are attached to or linked inside the emails/messages. These files come in various formats, e.g., documents (Microsoft Office, Microsoft OneNote, PDF, etc.), executables (EXE, RUN, etc.), archives (RAR, ZIP, etc.), JavaScript, and so forth.

Malware download/installation is triggered once such a file is opened. However, some formats require additional actions to initiate infection processes. For example, Microsoft Office files need users to enable macro commands (i.e., content/editing), while OneNote documents require them to click on embedded links or files.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Caution is essential with incoming communications. We advise against opening attachments or links found in dubious emails or other messages, as they can be harmful or virulent.

It must be mentioned that malware is distributed using various techniques. Therefore, we recommend vigilance when browsing since the Internet is full of deceptive and malicious content.

Furthermore, all downloads must be performed from official and verified sources. Another recommendation is to activate and update software using legitimate functions/tools, as illegal product activation tools ("cracks") and third-party updates can contain malware.

It is paramount to have a dependable antivirus installed and kept updated. Security programs must be used to run regular system scans and to remove threats/issues. 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 "Unrecognized Lоgіn Attempt" spam email letter:

Subject: Action Requred: Security Notification (******** Ref: -6370731

Unrecognized Lоgіn Attempt

Yоur account ******** was accessed from a location or device we don't recognize.

To protect your account, please verify this activity immediately.

Review Lоgіn

If this was you, no further action is needed.
Thank you for helping keep your account secure.

— cPanel® Ѕесurіtу Team

Screenshot of the phishing website promoted by the "Unrecognized Lоgіn Attempt" spam campaign:

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Quick menu:

• What is "Unrecognized Lоgіn Attempt" 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?

Regardless of any personalized or relevant information that spam emails may include, they are not personal. These messages are distributed in large-scale campaigns – therefore, thousands of users receive identical (or incredibly similar) emails.

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

If you have provided your log-in credentials – change the passwords of all possibly exposed accounts and inform their official support without delay. However, if you've disclosed other private information (e.g., ID card details, credit card numbers, etc.) – immediately contact the appropriate authorities.

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

No, merely reading an email does not pose an infection threat. Systems are compromised when malicious attachments or links are opened/clicked.

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

If the opened file was an executable (EXE, RUN, etc.) – most likely, yes – the device was infected. However, you might have avoided this if it was a document (DOC, XLS, PDF, etc.). These formats may need extra interaction (e.g., enabling macro commands, clicking embedded content, etc.) to begin downloading/installing malware.

Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections present in email attachments?

Yes, Combo Cleaner is capable of detecting and removing nearly all known malware infections. Keep in mind that performing a full system scan is crucial since high-end malicious programs typically hide deep within systems.