How to avoid getting scammed by a fake "Check Failed Messages" email

What kind of email is "Check Failed Messages"?

Our inspection of the "Check Failed Messages" email revealed that it is spam. This is a phishing message that targets email account log-in credentials (passwords) by claiming that the recipient has multiple emails pending in quarantine.

"Check Failed Messages" email scam overview

The spam email with the subject "[recipient's_email_address] You have Pending Notification" (may vary) states that eight messages failed to reach the inbox. It provides a select list of the nonexistent emails, and they have important-sounding subjects like ones relating to taxes or purchase orders.

It must be emphasized that the claims made by this email are false, and this mail is not associated with any legitimate service providers.

After the "(8) RETRIEVE MESSAGES" button is pressed, the user is redirected to a phishing website. This page states that the user must sign in with their email account credentials to retrieve [the pending messages]. Phishing sites operate by recording provided information and sending it to scammers.

Emails can be variously abused by cyber criminals; they may even attempt to steal linked accounts, platforms, and services (e.g., social media/networking, entertainment, e-commerce, money transferring, online banking, digital wallets, etc.).

To expand some on the potential abuse, scammers can steal an account owner's identity and request loans or donations from contacts/friends/followers, promote scams, and spread malware by sharing malicious links or files. Hijacked finance-related accounts can be used to make fraudulent transactions and online purchases.

To summarize, victims of scam emails like "Check Failed Messages" can experience severe privacy issues, financial losses, and identity theft.

If you have already entered your log-in credentials into a phishing website/file – change the passwords of all potentially compromised accounts and contact their official support without delay.

Phishing spam campaign examples

"Confirm Your Identity", "Email Is Blocked Because The Sender Is Unauthenticated", and "UPS Delivery Notice" are just a couple of our latest articles on phishing emails.

These messages typically target log-in credentials, personally identifiable information, and financial data. However, various scams are facilitated through spam campaigns. This mail is also used to spread all kinds of malware.

Spam emails are often poorly written and full of grammatical/spelling errors, but they can be competently put together and even convincingly disguised as messages from genuine entities. Therefore, we strongly advised vigilance with incoming emails, DMs/PMs, SMSes, and other messages.

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Spam campaigns proliferate malware by distributing malicious files as attachments or download links. These files can be documents (PDF, Microsoft Office, Microsoft OneNote, etc.), executables (EXE, RUN, etc.), archives (ZIP, RAR, etc.), JavaScript, and so on.

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

How to avoid installation of malware?

Incoming emails and other communications must be approached with caution. We advise against opening attachments or links found in suspect/irrelevant mail, as they can be harmful or infectious.

However, malware is distributed using various techniques. We recommend being vigilant while browsing since fake and malicious online content usually appears legitimate and innocuous.

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

We must stress the importance of having a reputable antivirus installed and kept updated. Security software must be used to run regular system scans and to remove threats and 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 "Check Failed Messages" spam email letter:

******** You have Pending Notification

Check Failed Messages

Click on Retrieve messages to your inbox folder: User: ********

Quarantined email
Status Subject: Recipient: Date:
Pending Request For Quotation ******** 09/09/2025 8:24:20 a.m.
Pending RE: Purchase Order ******** 09/09/2025 8:11:12 a.m.
Pending TAX INVOICE ******** 09/09/2025 8:10:44 a.m.
Pending SIGNED DOCUMENT ******** 09/09/2025 7:30:19 a.m.

(8) RETRIEVE MESSAGES

Email is generated by ******** Server ********
Note: This message was sent by the system for notification only. Please do not reply

Screenshot of the phishing website promoted by the "Check Failed Messages" spam campaign:

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Quick menu:

• What is "Check Failed Messages" 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 information of such nature. These messages are sent out in massive 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 – immediately change the passwords of all possibly exposed accounts and inform their official support. However, if you have provided other private information (e.g., ID card details, passport photos/scans, credit card numbers, etc.) – contact the appropriate authorities without delay.

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

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. Once launched, executables cause infections almost without fail. However, some formats – like documents – might need additional interaction. In these instances, malware infiltration is triggered after macros are enabled, embedded content is clicked, or other actions are performed.

Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections present in email attachments?

Combo Cleaner can detect and eliminate nearly all known malware infections. Keep in mind that running a complete system scan is essential sophisticated malicious software usually hides deep within systems.