How to identify scams like "FedEx - Pending Package Delivery"

What is "FedEx - Pending Package Delivery" fake email?

We have inspected the email and concluded that it includes a fake notification from FedEx. Its purpose is to trick recipients into believing that they have received an email from the legitimate company and lure them into entering personal details on a fake web page. Victims of this scam may experience issues like account hijacking and other problems.

More about the "FedEx - Pending Package Delivery" scam email

The email claims to be a shipping notification from FedEx. It states that a package is ready for delivery and includes a fake tracking code and urges the recipient to "view all details" through the provided link. The email also suggests that immediate action is needed to track or collect the package.

The website provided in this email is not associated with FedEx. It mimics the recipient's email service provider (such as Gmail, Yahoo Mail, or others) to trick users into entering their login credentials. Any information entered is immediately captured by the scammers, who can misuse it for malicious purposes.

Typically, scammers behind such emails use stolen login details to access email accounts and use them to collect information, send malicious links or files, or spread scams. They can also attempt to access banking, social media, gaming, or other accounts and misuse them.

Depending on the accounts accessed, victims may encounter issues such as identity theft, financial loss, reputational damage, or other negative consequences. Therefore, it is essential to exercise caution with suspicious emails and never enter personal information on dubious websites.

Conclusion

This email is a phishing attempt that impersonates FedEx and the recipient's email service to steal login credentials. Providing any information can lead to account compromise, identity theft, financial loss, or other serious consequences. Users should remain cautious and avoid entering personal details on suspicious websites.

Sometimes, falling for such scams can result in computer infections. Some examples of similar scams are "Roundcube Pending Messages Email Scam", "Issue With Message Delivery To Your Account Email Scam", and "Security Notifications - Email Service Scam".

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Cybercriminals often utilize email to distribute malware by adding infected attachments or directing users to harmful websites. These attachments can be malicious documents, executable files, compressed archives, scripts, or other file types that activate malware once opened or when features like macros are turned on.

Fraudulent email links may lead to fake sites that automatically download malware or trick users into downloading it themselves. Overall, devices become infected when recipients interact with dangerous content.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Be careful with unexpected or suspicious emails, especially those that include attachments or links, and avoid opening their contents if they appear malicious. Also, avoid clicking on ads or pop-ups on unreliable websites, and do not permit sites of this kind to send you notifications. Keep your operating system, browser, and apps up to date.

Run regular scans with reliable security software to detect potential threats. Avoid downloading pirated software, cracking tools, and key generators. Always get software from official sites or app stores.

Text presented in the "FedEx - Pending Package Delivery" email letter:

Subject: (Shipping Notification: Your package is ready!)

Fed Ex
Pending package delivery

Your package was scheduled to be delivered today.

Planned at FedEx Center

You have (1) package ready to ship. Use the code to track and collect.

29194773 View all details

For additional information, please visit our Customer Support Center .

Fake website used in this scam:

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Quick menu:

• What is FedEx - Pending Package Delivery 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?

This scam email shows that your address was included in a scammers' list. This email is not personal and should be ignored.

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

If your login credentials were shared, promptly update the passwords for any potentially affected accounts. In cases involving financial or identity-related data, notify the appropriate institutions or authorities.

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

Malicious software can be distributed through various file formats. For instance, malicious executable files (e.g., .exe) may infect a system immediately upon opening, while document files are generally lower risk unless features like macros are enabled. The probability of an infection varies by file type.

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

Viewing an email alone does not compromise your device. Risk arises only when a malicious link is accessed or an infected attachment is opened.

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

While Combo Cleaner is capable of removing most types of malware, a full system scan is recommended to ensure no hidden or advanced threats remain.