How to identify scams like "UPS - Action Required for Your Shipment"

What is "UPS - Action Required for Your Shipment" scam?

We have analysed the email and found that it is a fake UPS notification regarding a pending shipment. It includes fake details to appear legitimate and a link to a phishing website designed to steal personal information. This email should be ignored to prevent issues like account hijacking and other threats.

More about the "UPS - Action Required for Your Shipment" scam email

This email is a phishing attempt disguised as a UPS shipment notification. It claims that a package delivery is pending due to missing information or unpaid shipping fees and urges the recipient to confirm their address and pay within 24 hours. The message includes a fake tracking number and warns that the shipment may be returned if no action is taken.

It instructs the recipient to update shipping information via a provided link ("Update Shipping Information"). Typically, links in emails like this one take recipients to fake websites designed to steal login credentials (e.g., email addresses and passwords). These details allow scammers to access personal accounts.

Once they gain access, those accounts can be exploited for various purposes. Criminals may use them to spread scams, deliver malware, steal funds or identities, and carry out other malicious actions. For this reason, messages like the one described should be reviewed with caution before responding.

Being tricked by such scams can lead to serious consequences, including financial loss and identity theft.

Conclusion

This email is a phishing scam designed to steal personal information and access accounts. Recipients should treat such messages with caution, as responding or clicking links can lead to financial loss, identity theft, and other malicious activity. Sometimes, interacting with such emails can lead to computer infections.

Examples of similar scams are "HR Department Authorization Request", "Chevron - Vendor Invitation", and "Message Delivery Authorization Required".

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Threat actors commonly distribute malware by attaching harmful Word or Excel files, PDFs, scripts, executables, or compressed files like ZIP or RAR to deceptive emails. The malware can activate as soon as the recipient opens the file or completes an extra step, such as enabling macros in a malicious Office document.

Malware can also be delivered through links in emails. These links may lead to websites that automatically download the malware or convince users to run it on their own.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Do not open files or links in unexpected, irrelevant emails or messages from unknown or suspicious senders. Do not click ads, pop-ups, or other content on questionable websites. Download software from official websites or trusted app stores, and avoid pirated programs, cracks, or keygens.

Do not permit suspicious pages to send you notifications. Keep your operating system and applications up to date, use reliable security software, and scan your system regularly for threats.

Text presented in the "UPS - Action Required for Your Shipment" email letter:

Subject: PENDING SHIPMENT

UPS
Action Required for Your Shipment
Status: Pending
Tracking Number: 1056XE**********9856
Further Action Required

We were unable to deliver your package because information is missing or shipping fees have not yet been paid. To ensure your shipment is forwarded without delay, please confirm your address and settle the fees within 24 hours.
Important:
If no action is taken, the shipment may be returned to the sender.
Update Shipping Information
This message was automatically sent by UPS. Please do not reply to this email.
© 1994–2025 United Parcel Service of America, Inc.

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 UPS - Action Required for Your Shipment 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 messages are typically not personal and sent to many recipients at once, aiming to deceive anyone who responds or engages with them.

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

If passwords or other similar information were entered on a fraudulent site, change them immediately. For other sensitive data, such as credit card details, contact your bank and report the incident to the appropriate authorities.

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

Some files, such as malicious .exe files, can inject malware immediately when opened. Other files, such as Word or Excel documents, are risky only if the user enables specific features, like macros. Whether a device is infected depends on the kind of file involved.

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

A device can become infected only when a user clicks on links or opens malicious files. Simply viewing a message does not pose a risk.

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

Combo Cleaner can find and remove most malware, but performing a full scan is essential to detect hidden or more sophisticated threats.