How to spot scams like "Final Notice - Complete Verification"

What kind of scam is "Final Notice - Complete Verification"?

Our analysis shows that this is a phishing email posing as a final notice regarding account verification. The email provides a misleading link to a fake page crafted to steal personal information. Overall, it is a scam email and should be ignored if it is ever received.

More about the "Final Notice - Complete Verification" scam email

This phishing email claims to be an urgent account verification notice. It warns that all old versions of users' accounts are being closed starting today and urges the recipient to complete a verification process within 24 hours. It also states that failure to verify will result in temporary account restrictions and that the notice should not be ignored for security reasons.

The link ("Complete Verification" button) in this email opens a fake Webmail website where visitors are instructed to enter their email address and password (email account login credentials). Once scammers steal this information, they can access email accounts.

They often use them to trick the victim's contacts. They send fake messages that contain malicious links or infected attachments to steal information or spread malware. Scammers also search the compromised inbox for sensitive data such as payment details or personal identification numbers.

Additionally, stolen login details can be used to access other accounts, such as banking, social media, gaming, or other accounts. This can lead to financial theft, identity fraud, or other issues. Thus, knowing how to identify scam emails is important to avoid these risks.

Similar scam emails in general

These scams typically involve tricking recipients through fake or misleading emails disguised as important, urgent messages from real companies, service providers, or other entities. They often aim to steal personal information or spread malware. Thus, recipients should be careful with emails of this kind.

Here are some examples of similar scams: "Office 365 Password Reset Request", "Your Email Has Stopped Working", and "Routine Account Check".

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Cybercriminals often distribute malware through email by attaching infected files. Usually, they use malicious executables, script files, Office or PDF documents, compressed archives like ZIP or RAR, and other types of files. The malware can be activated when the recipient opens the attachment or takes additional steps, such as enabling macros in a malicious Office document.

Emails can also contain links directing users to fraudulent or compromised websites. These sites may attempt to download malware automatically or trick users into downloading and running it themselves. Essentially, the device can only become infected if the user interacts with the malicious file or clicks the harmful link.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Always download software from official pages or reputable app stores, and avoid using pirated software and cracking tools. Exercise caution with unexpected emails or messages from unknown senders, and do not open attachments or follow links in such messages. Do not interact with pop-ups, ads, or buttons on unreliable websites.

Also, do not permit shady pages to show notifications, regularly update the operating system and apps, and use a reliable antivirus tool.

Text presented in the "Final Notice - Complete Verification" email letter:

Subject: Action Required: We are closing all old versions users from Today.

ACTION REQUIRED
Final Notice: Complete Verification

Our system requires immediate verification of your account ******** to prevent service interruption. This is mandatory for all users.

Verification Deadline: 24 Hours

Failure to verify will result in temporary account restrictions.
Complete Verification

This is a service notification for ********. for the security of your account DO NOT ignore this mail.

© 2025 Promotioncn. All rights reserved.

Phishing website used in this scam:

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Quick menu:

• What is Final Notice - Complete Verification 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?

These emails are usually generic and not personalized. Scammers send them to many recipients whose email addresses were collected through data breaches, fake pages, or similar sources.

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

If any passwords were exposed, update them immediately and reach out to your bank and local authorities if your personal or financial data could be at risk.

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

Executable (.exe) files can inject malware as soon as they are opened, whereas documents or other file types usually require the user to perform an action, like enabling macros, before the malware can activate. The likelihood of infection varies based on the file type.

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

Malware cannot infect a device unless the user clicks a malicious link or opens an infected attachment. Thus, opening emails without interacting with their content is safe.

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

While Combo Cleaner can remove most malware, performing a full system scan is advised to ensure that any advanced or hidden threats are detected and eliminated.