How to identify fake emails like "Approved Salary Amount"

What is "Approved Salary Amount"?

We have analyzed the message and determined that it is a phishing email pretending to be a notification about an approved October salary. It includes a link to a deceptive website designed to extract personal information from visitors. This scam email should be ignored and deleted to avoid the associated risks.

More about the "Approved Salary Amount" scam email

This fraudulent email appears to come from a trusted sender, as it states that the sender has been verified from the recipient's safe sender list. It congratulates the recipient and instructs them to view an attached document showing the approved amount and to sign it for reference.

It also notes that the recipient's email address grants access to the document and mentions that it was shared by the finance department. In reality, the message is a phishing attempt designed to trick recipients into clicking the link ("Open Document" button) and entering their credentials.

The link directs recipients to a fraudulent website that mimics the login page of their email provider. For example, Gmail users would see a fake Gmail sign-in page. The scam's objective is to deceive recipients into entering their email addresses and passwords, allowing scammers to hijack their email accounts.

Once scammers have access to an email account, they can use it to send fraudulent messages to the victim's contacts. These messages can contain malicious links or attachments used ti spread malware, or they can be used to steal money or personal information.

Scammers can also browse the compromised email account for sensitive data, such as credit card details or personal identification information. In addition, stolen login credentials can be exploited to access other accounts, such as online banking, social media, or gaming platforms.

Thus, falling for this scam can lead to financial loss, identity theft, or further security breaches. Being cautious with suspicious emails is essential to avoid these threats.

Similar scam emails in general

These scam emails often pretend to come from trusted sources (e.g., companies or service providers) to appear legitimate. They typically urge recipients to open a document or link that leads to a fake login page designed to steal their credentials. Sometimes, scam emails can be designed to distribute malware.

Some examples of similar scams are "DHL Express Parcel Misplacement", "Routine Cleanup Of Unused Accounts", and "ICICI Bank - Payment Advice And Swift Copy".

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Cybercriminals use email to distribute malware by including infected files such as executables, script files, Office or PDF documents, archives like ZIP and RAR, or other files. The malware can activate if the recipient opens the file or performs additional actions (e.g., enables macros in a malicious MS Office document).

Emails may also feature links to fake or compromised websites designed to download malware automatically or trick users into downloading and running it themselves. In both situations, the device can only become infected if the recipient interacts with a malicious file or a link.

How to avoid installation of malware?

When downloading software, use official websites or trusted app stores, and avoid pirated programs, cracking tools, or keygens. Be careful with emails or messages from unknown senders, and do not click links or open attachments in unexpected, irrelevant messages. Also, do not trust ads, pop-ups, or buttons on unreliable websites, and do not allow notifications from suspicious sites.

Keep your operating system, apps, and antivirus software up to date, and run regular security scans to keep your device protected.

Text presented in the "Approved Salary Amount" email letter:

Subject: Approved Salary For October

This sender has been verified from your safe sender list.

Congratulations!

Please view the Approved Amount for October Salary, sign below Document for reference

Open Document

Note: Your email address grants access to this Document.
Docs for ********: Create and edit documents online.
You have received this email because finance department shared a document with you.

Phishing website used in this scam (posing as the recipient's email service provider):

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Quick menu:

• What is Approved Salary Amount 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?

Such messages are typically not personalized. Scammers send them to numerous recipients whose email addresses have been gathered from breaches, fake registrations, or public databases.

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

Change any passwords that may have been compromised, and contact your bank and relevant authorities if your personal or financial information might be affected.

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

Executable (.exe) files can immediately infect a system when opened, while documents and other files typically need user interaction, such as enabling macros, before malware can run. Therefore, the risk of infection depends on the type of file and the actions taken by the user.

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

Simply opening an email does not allow malware to infect a device. Infection occurs only if the user clicks a malicious link or opens a dangerous attachment.

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

Although Combo Cleaner can remove most malware, running a full system scan is recommended to detect any advanced or hidden threats.