How to identify scams like the fake message from SafariBookings

What is the fake "SafariBookings" email?

Upon inspecting the message, we concluded that it is a phishing email. The scammers behind it pretend to be from the SafariBookings team to trick recipients into opening a fake website and entering personal information. Falling for this scam can lead to account hijacking and possibly other issues. Thus, this email should be ignored.

More about the "SafariBookings" scam email

This scam email is disguised as a message from a travel booking service. It claims that a client named Balogh from Canada has requested a quote for an 8-day safari tour for 10 adults, with an estimated value of $9,200 or €9,000. The email pressures the recipient to accept or decline the request within three working days.

It warns that the request will be automatically declined and given to another vendor if no action is taken. It provides contact details and a link to "view quote requests", which takes recipients to a deceptive site containing a fake document-looking background and requesting an email address and password to "view document".

The purpose of this scam is to steal login credentials from unsuspecting recipients. These details can be used to access personal accounts (e.g., email, social media, or gaming). Once accessed, those accounts can be misused for malicious purposes. Scammers may use them to spread scams, distribute malware, steal money or identities, and engage in other malicious activities.

Therefore, emails like this one should be carefully examined before taking action. Falling for such scams can have various negative outcomes, including monetary loss and identity theft.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this scam email is designed to trick recipients into revealing their login credentials by posing as a legitimate travel booking request. Falling for it can lead to misuse of personal accounts. Recipients should carefully verify emails before clicking links or providing any sensitive information.

In some cases, emails of this kind can be utilized to trick recipients into executing malware on their devices. Here are more examples of scam emails: "HR Department Authorization Request", "Chevron - Vendor Invitation", and "Message Delivery Authorization Required".

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Threat actors often spread malware through Word or Excel documents, PDFs, script files, executable files, and archive files such as ZIP or RAR by attaching them to deceptive emails. The malware can activate when the recipient opens the file or performs additional actions (e.g., malware can infiltrate after enabling macros in malicious Office documents).

Malware can also be delivered through links in emails. These links may open websites that automatically download malware or trick users into running it themselves.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Download software only from official sites or trusted app stores, and avoid pirated programs, cracks, or keygens. Do not open files or links in unexpected emails or messages from unknown or suspicious sources. Do not click suspicious ads or pop-ups (or other content) found on shady sites.

Avoid agreeing to get notifications from dubious pages. Use reliable security software and scan the system for threats regularly. Also, make sure your operating system and apps are always up to date.

Text presented in the "SafariBookings" email letter:

Subject: Quote request from Balogh for 8-day Tour / Trip safari 5

SafariBookings

Dear ********,

Please accept or decline this quote request for a tour with you
for a 8-Day safari tour trip;

Details: You can view QUOTE REQUESTS and contact Below;

Name: Balogh

Email: Balogh*****@gmail.com

Country: Canada

Travelers: 10 Adults (18+)

Travel Date: Start on 15/1/2026(Their date is somewhat flexible)
View Quote Requests

Estimated Value of this Quote Request

$9,200/ €9,000

Important!
To ensure a smooth booking process for clients, quote requests must be accepted or declined within 3 working days from today,11/18/2025 5:30:44 a.m... If you haven't done so after 3 working days, the request will be automatically declined and the booking given to another vendor. We'll notify you of this by email.

With kind regards,

The SafariBookings Team

Fake website used in this scam:

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Quick menu:

• What is Fake SafariBookings quote request?
• 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 usually generic and sent to numerous people simultaneously, designed to trick anyone who interacts.

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

If you entered passwords or sensitive information on a scam page, update your passwords immediately. If you shared other sensitive information, like credit card details, notify the relevant authorities and your bank.

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

Some files, such as executable files (EXE), can trigger malware immediately when opened. Others, like Word or Excel documents, only become harmful if the user enables certain features, such as macros. The risk of infection varies depending on the file type.

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

A device is only at risk if the user clicks links or opens infected files. Reading a message alone is safe.

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

Combo Cleaner can detect and clean most infections, but a full scan is important to identify any concealed or advanced malware.