How to recognize fake "Voice Message" emails

What kind of email is "Voice Message"?

Our inspection of the "Voice Message" email revealed that it is spam. It is presented as a notification concerning a received voice note. Instead of containing an audio message, the attachments are phishing files targeting email account log-in credentials.

"Voice Message" email scam overview

The spam email with the subject "You have 1 new Voice Message!" (may vary) states that the recipient has been sent an audio note. The nonexistent message is 54 seconds long. It must be emphasized that the information in this email is false, and this mail is not associated with any genuine service providers.

The attachments – "Audio Ref -ADXFG5645YK.shtml" and "Iphone 1w2568493.shtml" (filenames may vary) – are the exact same file just named differently. These attachments are phishing files designed to record entered information. The documents state – "Sensitive file." and instruct – "Verify that [recipient's_email_address] is your email", and typing this data into it reveals it to scammers.

Stolen emails can be variously abused; cyber criminals may even attempt to steal the accounts, platforms, and services registered through them. To expand upon this, scammers can steal the account (e.g., email, social networking, social media, messenger, etc.) owner's identity and ask for loans or donations, promote scams, and spread malware by sharing malicious links or files.

Furthermore, stolen finance-related accounts (e.g., online banking, money transferring, e-commerce, digital wallets, etc.) can be used to make fraudulent transactions and online purchases.

To summarize, victims of scam emails like "Voice Message" can experience serious privacy issues, financial losses, and identity theft.

If you have already entered your log-in credentials – immediately change the passwords of all possibly compromised accounts and contact their official support.

Phishing spam campaign examples

We have analyzed thousands of spam campaigns; "Email Quota Notification", "DHL Express - Incorrect Billing Information", "Fidelity Investments", "Update To Your Account Was Requested", and "Email Security Protocol Update" are merely some of our latest articles on phishing emails.

These messages predominantly target log-in credentials, personally identifiable information, or finance-related data. However, various scams are promoted through spam mail, and it is used in malware distribution.

While the widely held belief that these emails are poorly written and riddled with grammatical/spelling mistakes is not untrue, this is not always the case. Spam mail can be competently put together and even convincingly disguised as messages from legitimate entities (e.g., service providers, companies, organizations, authorities, etc.).

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Malware is commonly proliferated via spam campaigns. Virulent files can be attached to or linked inside the spam emails/messages. These files come in various formats, e.g., documents (PDF, Microsoft Office, Microsoft OneNote, etc.), archives (ZIP, RAR, etc.), executables (EXE, RUN, etc.), JavaScript, and so on.

Opening such a file triggers the infection chain. However, some formats require additional actions to jumpstart malware infiltration 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?

We highly recommend approaching incoming emails and other messages with caution. Attachments or links found in dubious/irrelevant mail must not be opened, as they can be harmful or virulent.

However, malware is proliferated using various methods. Therefore, be vigilant when browsing since fraudulent and dangerous online content usually appears legitimate and harmless.

Another recommendation is to download only from official and trustworthy sources. Activate and update programs using functions/tools provided by genuine providers, as illegal activation tools ("cracks") and third-party updaters can contain malware.

We must stress the importance of having a dependable antivirus installed and kept up-to-date. This 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 "Voice Message" spam email letter:

Subject: You have 1 new Voice Message!

Voice Message

You have 1 new Voice Message!

Audio Length : 54 secs

Audio Ref :ADXFG5645YK

Play Audio via attached file

This message was sent to you

Screenshot of a phishing file attached to this spam campaign (both attachments are identical):

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Quick menu:

• What is "Voice Message" 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, even if they include data relevant to the recipients. These messages are sent out 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 disclosed your log-in credentials – change the passwords of all potentially compromised accounts and inform their official support. However, if you have provided other data (e.g., ID card details, passport photos/scans, credit card numbers, etc.) – immediately contact relevant authorities.

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

No, reading an email is harmless. Devices are compromised when a malicious attachment or link is opened/clicked.

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

Whether the system was infected depends on the purpose of the file (e.g., malware infiltration, phishing, decoy, etc.). File formats can influence infection success rates as well. Malicious executables cause infections almost without fail upon being opened. However, some formats – like documents – might need additional interaction (e.g., enabling macros, clicking embedded content, etc.) to begin malware download/installation.

Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections present in email attachments?

Yes, Combo Cleaner is capable of detecting and removing practically all known malware infections. Note that running a full system scan is paramount since sophisticated malicious programs typically hide deep within systems.