How to avoid getting scammed by fake "System Update" emails

What kind of email is "System Update"?

After inspecting this "System Update" email, we determined that it is fake. This spam message urges the recipient to update their email version. The purpose of this email is to lure users into disclosing their email account log-in credentials to a phishing website.

"System Update" email scam overview

The spam email with the subject "Action Required: [recipient's_email_address] Please confirm to continue." (may vary) informs the recipient that their email version will soon stop receiving support. The message instructs to update to the latest version to achieve optimal performance, enhance security, and avoid mail service interruptions.

It must be stressed that the claims made by this email are false, and this mail is not associated with any genuine service providers. The phishing site promoted by this campaign impersonates an email account sign-in page. Phishing websites operate by recording information entered into them and sending it to scammers.

Hijacked emails can be abused in various ways; cyber criminals may even attempt stealing connected accounts, platforms, services (e.g., social networking/media, messengers, entertainment, e-commerce, money transferring, online banking, etc.).

Scammers can steal the account owner's identity and request loans or donations from contacts/friends/followers, promote scams, and distribute malware by sharing malicious links or files. Stolen finance-related accounts (e.g., online banking, digital wallets, money transferring, e-commerce, etc.) can be used to make fraudulent transactions and online purchases.

To summarize, victims of spam mail like this fake "System Update" email can experience severe privacy issues, financial losses, and identity theft.

If you have already provided your log-in credentials to a phishing site (or file) – immediately change the passwords of all possibly compromised accounts and inform their official support.

Phishing spam campaign examples

We have analyzed countless spam campaigns; "Final Notice - Complete Verification", "Office 365 Password Reset Request", and "Your Email Has Stopped Working" are merely a couple of our newest articles on phishing emails.

In addition to log-in credentials, these messages often target personally identifiable information and financial data. However, emails of this kind endorse various scams. Spam mail is also used to proliferate all types of malware.

Due to how prevalent this mail is and how well-disguised it can be – we strongly recommend approaching incoming emails, PMs/DMs, SMSes, and other messages with care.

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Spam campaigns spread malware through malicious files that can be attached to or linked inside the emails/messages. These files come in various formats, such as documents (e.g., PDF, Microsoft Office, Microsoft OneNote, etc.), executables (e.g., EXE, RUN, etc.), archives (e.g., ZIP, RAR, etc.), JavaScript, and so on.

Merely opening a virulent file can be enough to initiate the malware infiltration chain. However, some formats require additional actions to jumpstart infection processes. To elaborate, Microsoft Office files need users to enable macro commands (i.e., editing/content), while OneNote documents require them to click on embedded links or files.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Caution with incoming communications is essential to avoid malware distributed through spam mail. Therefore, do not open attachments or links found in suspicious emails and other messages.

However, malicious software is proliferated through various methods. Hence, be vigilant when browsing since the Internet is rife with deceptive and dangerous content.

Additionally, download only from official and verified sources. Activate and update software using legitimate functions/tools provided by genuine developers, as illegal activation tools ("cracks") and third-party updates can contain malware.

It is crucial to have a reputable antivirus installed and kept updated. Security programs must be used to run regular system scans and to remove detected 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 "System Update" spam email letter:

Subject: Action Required: - Please confirm to continue.

System Update

Dear -,

Your current version of Webmail will soon no longer be supported. To ensure uninterrupted access, enhanced security, and optimal performance, you must update to the latest version immediately.

Update Now

Critical: This update ensures compliance with the latest security standards.

© cPanel Inc. All Rights Reserved
Thi s is an automated security notification - please do not ignore.

Screenshot of the phishing website promoted by the "System Update" spam campaign:

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Quick menu:

• What is "System Update" 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?

Regardless of any personal information present in a spam email, that does not make the message itself personal. This mail is sent out in massive 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 provided your log-in credentials – change the passwords of all potentially exposed accounts and inform their official support. However, if you've disclosed other private information (e.g., ID card details, 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. Systems 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 run, executables cause infections almost without fail. However, you might have avoided it if the file were a document. These formats may need additional interaction (e.g., enabling macros, clicking embedded content, etc.) to trigger the malware download/installation chain.

Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections present in email attachments?

Combo Cleaner can detect and remove practically all known malware infections. Remember that performing a full system scan is crucial since sophisticated malicious software tends to hide deep within systems.