How to avoid getting scammed by fake "Urgent Security Alert" emails

What kind of email is "Urgent Security Alert"?

Our inspection of the "Urgent Security Alert" email revealed that it is spam. This fake message is presented as a password expiration notice. This phishing campaign targets email account log-in credentials (passwords).

"Urgent Security Alert" email scam overview

This spam email is disguised as an "Urgent Security Alert". It lists the date for the email account password expiration. Unless immediate action is taken, the account may get permanently deactivated. It must be emphasized that the information in this email is false, and this mail is not associated with any legitimate service providers.

Pressing the buttons in this message results in a redirect to a phishing site that imitates an email account sign-in page. Log-in credentials entered into this webpage are recorded and sent to scammers.

Hijacked emails can be utilized for a variety of nefarious purposes; cyber criminals may even attempt to steal linked accounts, platforms, and services (e.g., emails, social networking/media, messengers, e-commerce, entertainment, money transferring, online banking, digital wallets, etc.).

To expand upon this, scammers can steal account owners' identities and request loans or donations from contacts/friends/followers, promote scams, and spread malware by sharing malicious links or files. Stolen finance-related accounts can be used to make fraudulent transactions or online purchases.

In summary, victims of scam emails like "Urgent Security Alert" can experience severe privacy issues, financial losses, and identity theft.

If you have provided your log-in credentials – change the passwords of all possibly compromised accounts and inform their official support without delay.

Phishing spam campaign examples

"Email Quarantine Summary", "Mailbox Usage Warning", "DocuSign - Document Review Notification", and "DHL - Shipment(s) Document Is Expected To Be Delivered" are merely a few of our newest articles on phishing emails.

Targeted information predominantly includes log-in credentials, personally identifiable details, and finance-related data. Various scams are promoted through spam campaigns. They are utilized in malware distribution.

Due to how prevalent spam mail is and how well-made it can be – we strongly recommend exercising caution with incoming emails, PMs/DMs, SMSes, and other messages.

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Spam campaigns spread malware by distributing virulent files as attachments or download links. These files come in various formats, e.g., documents (Microsoft Office, Microsoft OneNote, PDF, etc.), archives (RAR, ZIP, etc.), executables (.exe, .run, etc.), JavaScript, and so forth.

Merely opening a malicious file can be enough to trigger the malware infiltration process. Some formats require additional interaction to initiate the infection chain. For example, Microsoft Office files need users to enable macro commands (i.e., editing/content), while OneNote documents require them to click on embedded files or links.

How to avoid installation of malware?

We strongly recommend being careful with incoming emails and other messages. Attachments or links found in suspicious/irrelevant mail must not be opened, as they can be malicious.

However, malware is proliferated using various methods. Therefore, we advise vigilance when browsing since the Internet is rife with deceptive and dangerous content.

Additionally, all downloads must be made from official and trustworthy sources. Another recommendation is to activate and update programs using genuine functions/tools, as illegal activation tools ("cracks") and third-party updates can contain malware.

It is paramount to have a reputable antivirus installed and kept updated. Security software must be used to run 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 "Urgent Security Alert" spam email letter:

Subject: ******** Deactivation Alert

Urgent Security Alert

Hello ********

Your ******** password expires 26th, June 2025 (Actiοn Required), you must take immediate steps to maintain same password and prevent restricted access to your account.

Failure to take action may lead to permanent deactivation of your account.

Keep the same password Skip upto 6 months

Alert ID Threat Level Timestamp
ID-7A3D-SUSP 7/10 6/27/2025 6:50:10 a.m.

100/30
100/30

You received this mandatory email service announcement to update you about
important changes to your mailbox account., © 2025.

Screenshot of the phishing website promoted by the "Urgent Security Alert" spam campaign:

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Quick menu:

• What is "Urgent Security Alert" 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?

Spam emails are not personal, regardless of any personal or otherwise relevant details that they may include. This mail is sent out in mass-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 – immediately change the passwords of all possibly compromised accounts and inform their official support. However, if you have disclosed other private information (e.g., ID card details, passport photos/scans, credit card numbers, etc.) – contact the corresponding authorities without delay.

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

No, reading an email is harmless. Systems are infected 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 compromised. However, you might have avoided the infection if it was a document (.doc, .xls, .pdf, .one, etc.). These formats may need additional interaction to begin infiltrating malware (e.g., enabling macros, clicking embedded files/links, etc.).

Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections present in email attachments?

Yes, Combo Cleaner can detect and eliminate practically all known malware infections. Remember that since high-end malicious software usually hides deep within systems – performing a full system scan is critical.