How to recognize scams like "Freight Invoice" fake email

What is a fake "Freight Invoice"?

We have examined the email and concluded that it is a phishing attempt. The scammers behind it seek to deceive recipients into believing that they have received a freight invoice. The email includes a link to a phishing site intended to steal personal information. Falling for this scam can result in account hijacking and possibly other negative outcomes.

More about the "Freight Invoice" scam email

This scam email is disguised as a freight invoice notification. It instructs the recipient to open a document and sign in using their email credentials. The message claims the invoice link will expire after seventy-two hours and includes fake support information to appear legitimate.

The purpose is to trick the recipient into entering their login details on a fraudulent page so scammers can capture those credentials. If accessed, email accounts can be exploited to send scam emails, deliver malware, harvest personal information, reset passwords for other accounts, etc.

If scammers gain access to other accounts (e.g., social media or banking services), they can misuse them to collect additional information, make fraudulent purchases or transactions, scam others, and more. Therefore, it is important to inspect suspicious emails before opening links (or files) included in them or disclosing personal details on the presented websites.

Conclusion

Overall, this message is a phishing attempt disguised as an invoice notice. Its goal is to lure the recipient into entering email login details on a fake site, giving scammers access to the account and any connected services. Once obtained, these credentials can be used for further fraud, data theft, or the spread of additional scams.

Sometimes, fraudsters use such emails to distribute malicious software. Additional examples of similar scam emails are "Webmail Server Report", "Check Inbox Failed Messages", and "Held Messages — Action Recommended".

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Email can be a vector for compromising operating systems when users engage with malicious content, such as files or links. Deceptive emails can contain infected documents, executable files, script files, ZIP, RAR, or other files. Opening them or taking actions like enabling macros in documents can activate the malware.

Also, clicking on deceptive links can lead users to fake websites that either silently download malware or convince users to download it themselves.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Be careful with unexpected and irrelevant emails, files, or links in them. Do not open attachments or click links if a message seems suspicious. Avoid interacting with ads, pop-ups, or other content on untrustworthy websites. Do not allow questionable sites to send notifications, and do not use pirated software, cracks, or key generators.

Additionally, use reputable antivirus or anti-malware software and run regular scans, and keep your operating system, browser, and all applications up to date.

Text presented in the "Freight Invoice" email letter:

Subject: Freight Invoice Review

Freight Invoice

Attn: all

To view below invoice document, you are advice to use your office email combination crediencials to login.

Download Invoice

Best Regards,

Please note, the invoice link will be disable after 72hrs.
Need Assistance?

Get Online Support 24/7

Fake site used in this scam:

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Quick menu:

• What is Fake Freight Invoice?
• 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?

Receiving a scam email typically indicates that scammers have harvested your email address. These emails are usually identical for every recipient, rather than tailored.

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

If you provided any account credentials, update those passwords immediately. If you disclosed other sensitive data, such as payment information or ID documents, contact the appropriate authorities.

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

Malicious executable files can run malware immediately upon opening. While Word or Excel documents are generally lower risk, they can still be harmful if macros or similar features are enabled. The chance of infection depends on the specific file type.

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

Simply reading or viewing an email does not infect a device. Malware can only enter when a recipient opens a malicious file or clicks on a malicious link.

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

Combo Cleaner can detect and remove most known malware, but performing a full system scan is necessary to uncover and eliminate more advanced or hidden infections.