How to avoid infecting your device with malware via emails like "Order Placement"

What kind of email is "Order Placement"?

Our inspection of the "Order Placement" email revealed that it is malspam. This message lures recipients into opening a malicious attachment by presenting it as an order placement. The goal of this campaign is to infect recipients' devices with malware.

"Order Placement" email virus overview

The spam email with the subject "Ref No : (18.06,05.0199)/ SO-03-25-00065 / June pricing and availability" (may vary) claims that the sender has failed to reach the recipient by phone. The message states that details for the sender's order placement can be found in the attachment, and the recipient is requested to provide the pricing and lead time.

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

The file attached to this email – "20250606152642_OCA8771_RFQ.docx" (filename may vary) – is intended to infect systems with malware. After this Word document is opened and macro commands are enabled, the infection chain is triggered. It is currently unknown what malicious program the attachment proliferates. Spam campaigns can spread any type of malware.

Prevalent malicious software types include various trojans – backdoors/loaders/droppers (intended to cause chain infections), stealers (exfiltrate data), grabbers (download files), injectors (inject malicious code into processes/software), spyware (record desktops, audio/video via microphones/cameras, etc.), clippers (steal/replace clipboard content), and so forth.

Ransomware is another widespread malware type, and it operates by encrypting victims' files to demand payment for the decryption. Cryptocurrency miners are also common; they function by abusing system resources to generate cryptocurrency.

In summary, by trusting an email like "Order Placement" – users can experience system infections, severe privacy issues, financial losses, and identity theft.

If you suspect that your system has already been infected – perform a full system scan with an antivirus and eliminate all detected threats without delay.

Malspam campaign examples

"Payment Has Been Remitted Into Your Account", "DHL - Customs Clearance", "Product Specification For Korean Market", and "DHL Airfreight" are merely some of our articles on malspam campaigns.

It must be mentioned that in addition to spreading malware, spam emails are also used to promote various scams (e.g., phishing, technical support, refund, etc.).

While the commonly held belief that spam emails are poorly written and riddled with mistakes is not untrue, it is not always the case. These messages can be competently put together and even believably disguised as mail from legitimate entities (e.g., companies, institutions, organizations, service providers, authorities, etc.).

Due to how prevalent spam messages are and how well-crafted they can be – we highly recommend exercising caution within incoming emails, PMs/DMs, SMSes, and other messages.

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

"Order Placement" spam campaign proliferates malware through a malicious Word document attachment. Virulent Microsoft Office files need users to enable macro commands (i.e., editing/content) to initiate the infection chain.

Generally, infectious files can be attached to or linked inside spam emails/messages. They come in various formats, e.g., documents (Microsoft Office, Microsoft OneNote, PDF, etc.), archives (ZIP, RAR, etc.), executables (.exe, .run, etc.), JavaScript, and so on.

It may be enough to merely open such a file to jumpstart malware download/installation; however, some formats require additional interaction (e.g., enabling macros, clicking embedded files/links, etc.).

How to avoid installation of malware?

Incoming emails and other messages must be approached with caution. We advise against opening attachments or links present and suspicious/irrelevant communications, as they can be malicious.

It must be mentioned that malware is distributed using various techniques. Therefore, we recommend being careful while browsing since the Internet is full of deceptive and dangerous content.

Another recommendation is to download only from official and verified sources. Software must be activated and updated using functions/tools provided by genuine developers, as illegal activation ("cracking") tools and third-party updates can contain malware.

It is paramount for device integrity and user safety to have a reputable antivirus installed and kept updated. Security programs must be used to perform regular system scans and to remove detected threats. 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 "Order Placement" spam email letter:

Subject: Ref No : (18.06,05.0199)/ SO-03-25-00065 / June pricing and availability

Hope you are well. I have tried to reach you by phone,

We are ready to proceed with order placement.

Kindly revert with pricing and lead time for the following as attached , so we can finalize order.

Thank you for your understanding

Distinti saluti

Paola

KDiesel S.r.l.

Via Filzi, 15 - 20032 Cormano (MI) - Italy

Tel: +39 02 66307094

Fax:+39 02 66307159

@mail: info@kdiesel.it hxxps://kdiesel.it/

Screenshot of the malicious attachment distributed via this spam campaign ("20250606152642_OCA8771_RFQ.docx"):

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Quick menu:

• What is "Order Placement" malspam?
• 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?

Spam emails are not personal, even if they include information relevant to the recipients. Cyber criminals distribute these messages by the thousand with the hopes that at least some recipients will fall for their scams.

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. Devices 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?

Whether the device was infected might depend on the format of the opened file. Executables cause infections almost without fail (once opened). However, some formats – like documents – may need additional interaction. In these cases, malware download/install installation is triggered after macro commands are enabled, embedded content is clicked, or other actions are performed.

Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections present in email attachments?

Yes, Combo Cleaner is capable of detecting and removing nearly all known malware infections. It must be stressed that running a complete system scan is essential since high-end malicious programs tend to hide deep within systems.