How to identify scams like the fake "Email Account Failure Notice"

What kind of scam is "Email Account Failure Notice"?

Our analysis has shown that it is a phishing email posing as a security notification from an email service provider. The scam email contains a link to a fake site designed to extract personal information from unsuspecting recipients. It should be ignored to avoid account hijacking and other potential issues.

More about the "Email Account Failure Notice" scam email

This email claims that the recipient's account will be disabled due to policy violations. It states that a new user policy has been implemented to protect security and data. The message instructs the recipient to verify their login to prevent losing access to their mailbox, including emails, documents, and contacts.

It warns that disabled accounts will be deleted. The provided link ("Verify User Login" button) directs visitors to a fake Webmail login site designed to trick them into entering their email account login credentials. If disclosed, these details can be used to hijack email accounts.

Hijacked accounts can be used to collect personal information, send scam emails to others, deliver malware, and more. Scammers may also try to access other accounts (e.g., social media, banking, or gaming) using the stolen login credentials, which could lead to even more issues.

Additionally, fraudsters may sell the information they harvested to third parties. Overall, recipients should be able to recognize scam emails to avoid potential issues.

Similar scam emails in general

These emails typically urge recipients to take immediate action. They often include links to fake login (or other) pages designed to steal email account information, credit card details, or other information. Falling for such scams can lead to financial loss, identity theft, reputational damage, or other problems.

It is worth mentioning that deceptive emails can also be used to distribute malware. Some examples of scam emails are "Security Notice - AI Assist Now Available", "Welcome To AI Powered Webmail", and "Important Account Update".

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Threat actors often deliver malware through email attachments. Malware can be disguised as legitimate Word or Excel files, PDFs, scripts, executables (.exe), archives like ZIP and RAR, etc. Opening such files (or taking additional steps) can trigger the infection of a system.

Malware is also distributed through malicious links. When clicked, these links may direct users to compromised or malicious websites that either initiate an automatic download of harmful software or deceive users into downloading and executing it themselves.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Avoid opening attachments or clicking on links in questionable (especially unexpected or irrelevant) emails or messages from unknown senders. Keep your operating system, browsers, and applications up to date, and use reputable security software. Always use official websites or trusted app stores to download software (or files).

Do not trust advertisements, links, buttons, etc., on shady sites. Also, do not agree to receive notifications from such pages. Additionally, use reputable security software (and run system scans regularly). 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 "Email Account Failure Notice" email letter:

Subject: Action Required

Email Account Failure Notice

Dear ********,

Your email account ******** will be disabled.

It appears the account was being used in a way that violated policies. A new User Policy has been implemented to protect your security and ensure your data safety.

In order to continue using your mailbox, you must verify your login below to avoid losing access to your mailbox and data such as emails, documents, and contacts.
Verify User Login

Disabled accounts are eventually deleted, along with emails, contacts, and other stored data.

You are receiving this email to inform you about important changes to your [[-Email-]] account and services.
Roundcube Webmail © 2025 | Security Notification

Phishing page used in this scam:

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Quick menu:

• What is Email Account Failure Notice 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?

Scam emails are usually distributed in bulk to addresses gathered from data leaks, fake websites, or other sources. They are generally generic and not targeted at particular people or organizations.

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

If account credentials are stolen, update the affected passwords immediately. For any other sensitive information, such as credit card or identification details, notify the appropriate entities.

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

If the opened file was an executable, it very likely initiated the infection. If it was a document like a PDF or Word file, the risk is lower, as opening such files often does not always cause an immediate malware execution.

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

Opening emails is generally safe. Malware typically requires the user to either open a malicious attachment or click on a harmful link to activate.

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

Yes, Combo Cleaner can detect and remove most known malware infections. Because advanced malware can hide deep within the system, performing a full system scan is highly advisable.