How to avoid getting scammed by fake "Routine Account Check" emails

What kind of email is "Routine Account Check"?

After reviewing this "Routine Account Check" email, we determined that it is spam. It instructs the recipient to verify their account settings to avoid mail service interruptions. The purpose of this spam campaign is to lure recipients into disclosing their email account log-in credentials to a phishing website.

"Routine Account Check" email scam overview

The spam email with the subject "Take Action Now 10/24/2025 3:22:50 a.m." (may vary) informs of a routine account check of email configuration settings that has just been performed. The recipient is instructed to verify their configuration to avoid interruptions to the email service.

It must be stressed that the information in this message is false, and this mail is not associated with any legitimate service providers. After a user clicks the "Verify Settings Now" button, they are redirected to a phishing site that impersonates their email account sign-in page.

Websites of this kind are designed to record the data provided to them. Hence, by trying to sign in through this page – users unintentionally expose their email accounts to scammers.

Stolen emails can be abused in various ways; cyber criminals may even attempt to hijack connected accounts, platforms, and services (e.g., social networking, social media, messengers, entertainment, file sharing, e-commerce, money transferring, online banking, digital wallets, etc.).

To elaborate, scammers can steal the account owner's identity and ask for loans or donations from contacts/friends/followers, endorse scams, and spread malware by sharing malicious files/links. Stolen finance-related accounts can be used to make fraudulent transactions and online purchases.

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

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

Spam campaigns in general

We have investigated thousands of spam campaigns. Aside from data phishing, these emails are also used to promote other types of scams and to distribute all kinds of malware.

"DHL Express Parcel Misplacement", "ICICI Bank - Payment Advice And Swift Copy", "Maintenance Notice", "Routine Cleanup Of Unused Accounts", and "cPanel - Webmail Update Required" are just some of our newest articles on phishing campaigns.

Note that while the commonly held belief that spam emails are poorly written and riddled with mistakes is not untrue, it is not always the case. This mail can be competently put together and even convincingly disguised as messages from legitimate identities. Therefore, we strongly advise caution with incoming communications.

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Malspam is a widespread malware distribution technique. These spam emails/messages have virulent files attached to or linked inside them. Malicious files can be documents (Microsoft Office, Microsoft OneNote, PDF, etc.), archives (RAR, ZIP, etc.), executables (EXE, RUN, etc.), JavaScript, and so forth.

The infection chain is jumpstarted once such a file is opened. However, some formats require additional interaction to initiate infection 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?

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

However, malware is not proliferated exclusively through spam campaigns. Therefore, we recommend being careful while browsing since the Internet is full of deceptive and dangerous content.

Another recommendation is to download only from official and verified sources. All programs must be activated and updated using functions/tools provided by genuine developers, as illegal software activation tools ("cracks") and third-party updaters may contain malware.

It is paramount to have a dependable antivirus installed and kept up-to-date. Security software must be used to perform regular system scans and to remove active and potential 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 "Routine Account Check" spam email letter:

Subject: Take Action Now 10/24/2025 3:22:50 a.m.

-

We've just performed a routine account check on ******** email configuration settings.

To ensure uninterrupted email service, please verify your configuration:

Verify Settings Now

This automated message was sent as part of our system maintenance of pcrisk.com server

Best regards,
Email Support Team

Screenshot of the phishing website promoted by the "Routine Account Check" spam campaign:

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 "Routine Account Check" email scam?
• 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 mass-scale operations – 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 possibly exposed accounts and inform their official support. However, if you've provided information of a different personal nature (e.g., ID card details, passport scans/photos, credit card numbers, etc.) – immediately contact the corresponding authorities.

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

No, reading an email will not trigger any malware infiltration processes. Systems are infected 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. If it was an executable – most likely, yes. However, you might have avoided the infection if it was a document. These formats may need additional actions (e.g., enabling macro commands, clicking embedded content, etc.) to begin downloading/installing malware.

Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections present in email attachments?

Yes, Combo Cleaner is capable of detecting and eliminating practically all known malware infections. Keep in mind that running a full system scan is essential since high-end malicious programs tend to hide deep within systems.