How to identify scams like "Spam Test Email"

What kind of scam is "Spam Test Email"?

Our review of the email shows that it is a phishing message containing a link to a fake website. It imitates a request to complete an anti-spam test from an email service provider to appear legitimate. Falling for this fraudulent email can result in account takeover and other problems.

More about the "Spam Test Email" scam email

This scam email claims that the recipient must complete an anti-spam test to continue using the email service. It appears urgent by stating that skipping the test will prevent the user from sending emails. The email includes a link ("Click here to complete the test" button) to trick the recipient into opening a fake website.

That deceptive site mimics the Gmail login page. It instructs visitors to enter their email address and password to log in. However, the information entered on this page is sent to scammers. Fraudsters can use stolen login credentials to access an email account.

Once accessed, email accounts can be used to harvest sensitive information (e.g., personal identification information or credit card details), send spam emails, deliver malware, spread scams, and engage in other malicious activities. Additionally, cybercriminals may attempt to access other accounts (e.g., social media or banking accounts) using the stolen information.

Additionally, threat actors can sell the stolen details to third parties on the dark web. Thus, it is important to recognize scam emails and avoid opening links (or files) within them, as well as disclosing personal information on dubious websites.

Conclusion

The email is a fraudulent attempt to deceive recipients into taking immediate action. It pretends to be from a legitimate service, but its purpose is to lure users into revealing sensitive information and compromising their accounts. It should be ignored and deleted without clicking any links.

Some examples of similar scams are "Encrypted Fax Document Received", "DHL - Package With Air Waybill Has Been Delivered", and "Exodus Wallet Verification". Sometimes, fraudulent emails can be used to distribute malware.

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Cybercriminals spread malware through email by attaching harmful files. These attachments can be executables (.exe), Office documents, PDFs, scripts, archives (ZIP, RAR), or other files, which can infect a device if opened or if the user enables certain features, such as macros, or takes other action.

Emails can also contain links to unsafe websites. Visiting these sites may trigger automatic malware downloads or persuade users to download and run malicious software themselves. In most cases, malware cannot compromise a system unless the user interacts with these infected files or links.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Do not open attachments or click links in unsolicited emails or messages from unfamiliar senders. Exercise caution while browsing the internet by steering clear of pop-ups, ads, links, or buttons on untrustworthy websites, and do not grant such sites permission to send notifications.

Always download software and files from official stores or other reputable sources, and avoid pirated programs, cracks, or key generators. Keep your operating system and apps up to date, and regularly scan your device with reliable antivirus or anti-malware tools.

Text presented in the "Spam Test Email" email letter:

Subject: Action Required : Please complete the anti-spam test now !!! ******** Ref: -8789908)

Dear Customer,

To prevent abuse of our email service, we sometimes ask our customers to complete a spam test.

This spam test is mandatory. If you choose to skip the test, you will not be allowed to send emails after the test. 4 Novembre, 2025.

Please complete the anti-spam test now to avoid any inconvenience.:

Click here to complete the test
This is an automated email. Please do not reply.

Thank you.

******** Mail team

Fake website used in this scam:

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Quick menu:

• What is Spam Test 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?

Scam emails are sent to numerous recipients and crafted to mislead anyone who opens them. Email addresses are often collected from security breaches, fraudulent websites, or other methods.

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

Update any compromised passwords if login credentials were shared. For other sensitive information, such as banking or ID data, contact the relevant entities.

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

Executable files can launch malware immediately, whereas files like PDFs, Word documents, or compressed archives usually need the user to take additional actions before any malicious activity occurs.

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

Emails by themselves are harmless. Threats only activate when links are followed, attachments are opened, or other actions are performed.

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

The app can remove most known malware. It is important to note that running a full scan ensures that hidden or sophisticated threats are identified and eliminated.