How to identify scams like "Payment Account Confirmation"

What is the fake "Payment Account Confirmation" email?

We have analysed the email and concluded that it is a fake payment invoice confirmation request. This scam email also includes a malicious attachment. It seems that cybercriminals behind this scam aim to steal personal information or deliver malware. Recipients should not trust this email and should ignore it.

More about the "Payment Account Confirmation" scam email

The sender of this scam email claims to be Sophia Kennedy from ATS Trading, LLC, and states that the company is ready to proceed with a payment but requires confirmation of the recipient's account. The email asks whether the payment should be made to the same account used in a previously submitted offer and includes an attachment labeled "PAYMENT INVOICE".

The email requests a prompt response to process the payment quickly and provides a U.S. address and phone number. The attached file contains an image that, if clicked, leads to a website that is not available (cannot be reached). However, our analysis shows that the attached file is malicious.

Thus, the included link is likely supposed to open a fake site designed to steal information or deliver malware. The targeted information may include login credentials (e.g., email addresses and passwords), credit card details or other banking information, personal identification details, etc.

If the provided site is supposed to distribute malware, it may host ransomware, crypto-mining malware, a Trojan, or other malware. In this case, cybercriminals could use the deployed malware to encrypt files and demand ransom, steal sensitive information, use the infected device (its resources) to mine cryptocurrency, or for other malicious purposes.

Overall, recipients should ignore this email to avoid the aforementioned consequences.

Similar scam emails in general

These scams are usually disguised as legitimate or urgent communications and include links or attachments. Their main goal is to deceive recipients into revealing sensitive data, such as passwords or credit card information, though they may also be used to spread malware.

Some examples of scam emails are "Mail Server Authentication Unsuccessful", "Pending Mails Alert", and "STEIGENS GENERAL TRADING LLC.".

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Attackers often conceal malware in email attachments, such as Word or Excel files, PDFs, scripts, executables, disk images, and ZIP or RAR archives. Opening these files, or performing actions like enabling macros in an infected document, can trigger malware.

Cybercriminals may also include links to fake or compromised websites that either download malware automatically or trick users into manually downloading and running malicious software.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Be careful with unexpected emails or messages from unknown senders - do not click links or open attachments unless you are sure they are safe. Use trusted antivirus tools and scan regularly. Keep your operating system and apps up to date. When on sketchy websites, do not click ads or permit them to send notifications.

Also, always download software from official sources or app stores. Avoid using other sources (e.g., P2P networks or unofficial sites).

Text presented in the "Payment Account Confirmation" email letter:

Subject: PAYMENT INVOICE CONFIRMATION

Hello Concerned,

I hope you're doing well.

We are about to proceed with payment, but we need your confirmation on the account to proceed with. Should we make the payment to the same account as the previous submitted offer?

Please check the enclosed Bank Confirmation and let us know how to proceed.

Awaiting your quick response to settle this payment asap.

Best regards,
Sophia Kennedy
ATS Trading, LLC
15801 Ibsen Place
Dumfries, VA 22025
USA
Phone: +1 (405) 524-5048

Attachment ("PAYMENT INVOICE.pdf"):

Instant automatic malware removal:

Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced IT skills. Combo Cleaner is a professional automatic malware removal tool that is recommended to get rid of malware. Download it by clicking the button below:

By downloading any software listed on this website you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. 7 days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by RCS LT, the parent company of PCRisk.com.

Quick menu:

• What is Fake Payment Account Confirmation 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?

Your email was probably obtained through a data breach or a deceptive (or compromised) site. It is also worth noting that most scammers send the same email to all addresses they have. Usually, these emails are not targeted.

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

If any login credentials were shared, change all passwords immediately. If other personal information, such as credit card or ID details, was disclosed, contact the appropriate authorities.

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

Usually, computers become infected after users interact with malicious files. For example, when users open malicious executables or enable macros in infected MS Office documents. Thus, whether your computer is infected depends on the file (its type) you opened.

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

Opening an email does not cause harm. A device can get infected only when the user interacts with malicious links or downloads risky attachments (and opens them).

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

Yes, Combo Cleaner can detect and remove nearly all known malware. However, advanced malware often hides deep within the system, so performing a full system scan is essential.