How to identify fake "DHL Global - Shipment Tracking Number" emails

What kind of email is "DHL Global - Shipment Tracking Number"?

Our review of the "DHL Global - Shipment Tracking Number" email revealed that it is fake. This spam message requests the recipient to confirm the generation of their shipment tracking number. The purpose of this phishing campaign is to trick victims into disclosing private information to a fake DHL website.

"DHL Global - Shipment Tracking Number" email scam overview

The spam email with the subject "DHL Shipment Notification – Order Details and Tracking Information." (may vary) encourages the recipient to confirm that their shipment tracking number has been generated. This data and other shipping details can be accessed via the provided unique URL. The recipient is instructed to lodge a complaint with the customer service if the tracking number does not appear within 48 hours.

It must be emphasized that the claims made by this email are false, and this mail is not associated with the actual DHL shipping and logistics company.

At the time of research, the phishing site endorsed by "DHL Global - Shipment Tracking Number" was down. Note that this could be rectified in potential future releases (i.e., emails will redirect to a functional webpage). DHL-themed messages tend to promote fake DHL websites.

These phishing sites may target personally identifiable and financial information, such as ID card details and credit/debit card numbers. The websites may state that accessing the nonexistent shipment information requires verification with email account log-in credentials.

Emails are highly targeted since they often contain sensitive data and may open an avenue for stealing linked accounts, platforms, services (e.g., social networking, social media, messengers, entertainment, e-commerce, money transferring, online banking, digital wallets, etc.).

To expand upon the potential abuse, scammers can steal the account owner's identity and request loans or donations from contacts/friends/followers, promote scams, and proliferate malware by sharing malicious links or files. Hijacked finance-related accounts can be used to make fraudulent transactions or online purchases.

In summary, by trusting an email like "DHL Global - Shipment Tracking Number" – users can experience severe privacy issues, financial losses, and identity theft.

If you have disclosed your log-in credentials – change the passwords of all possibly exposed accounts and inform their official support without delay. And if you have provided your personally identifiable or financial data to scammers – immediately contact the appropriate authorities.

Phishing spam campaign examples

"Purchase Order Request", "Pretpark Tours", "HSBC - Invoice Details", and "Change To The Webmail Access Interface" are merely a few of our latest articles on phishing emails.

These messages predominantly seek to extract log-in credentials, personally identifiable information, and financial data. However, various scams are promoted through spam mail (e.g., advance fee, refund, sextortion, technical support, etc.). Spam emails are also used to spread all kinds of malware.

Due to how prevalent this mail is and how well-made it can be – we strongly advise vigilance with incoming emails, DMs/PMs, SMSes, and other messages.

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Spam campaigns are commonly used in malware distribution. These emails/messages include infectious files as attachments or download links. Virulent files come in various formats, such as archives (ZIP, RAR, etc.), executables (.exe, .run, etc.), documents (PDF, Microsoft Office, Microsoft OneNote, etc.), JavaScript, and others.

Merely opening such a file can be enough to trigger the infection chain. Some formats require additional interaction. For example, Microsoft Office files need users to enable macro commands (i.e., content/editing), while OneNote documents require them to click on embedded links or files.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Incoming emails and other communications must be approached with caution. We strongly advise against opening attachments or links present in suspicious/irrelevant mail, as they can be malicious.

It must be mentioned that malware is not distributed exclusively via spam campaigns. Therefore, we recommend being careful while browsing, as the Internet is full of deceptive and dangerous content.

Another recommendation is to download only from official and verified sources. Additionally, all programs must be activated and updated using functions/tools provided by genuine developers, as illegal activation ("cracking") tools and third-party updates may contain malware.

It is essential to have a dependable antivirus installed and kept up-to-date. Security software must be used to run regular system scans and to remove detected threats/issues. If you've already opened malicious attachments, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate infiltrated malware.

Text presented in the "DHL Global - Shipment Tracking Number" spam email letter:

Subject: DHL Shipment Notification – Order Details and Tracking Information.

DHL Global

Dear ********,

Kindly confirm the tracking number for your shipment has been generated and will be sent to you shortly.

A URL has been CREATED to enable you view your shipping details online before your Unique Tracking Number is sent to you.

-
If after 48hours of this mail, you haven't received your tracking number, kindly contact our customer service for complaint
Thank you for allowing us serve you.

- DHL Customer Service Team -

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Quick menu:

• What is "DHL Global - Shipment Tracking Number" 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?

Spam emails are not personal, even if they include information relevant to the recipients. Cyber criminals distribute these messages by the thousands with the hopes that at least some recipients will fall for their scams.

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

If you have provided your log-in credentials – change the passwords of all potentially compromised accounts and inform their official support. However, if you have disclosed information of a different personal nature (e.g., ID card details, passport scans/photos, credit/debit card numbers, etc.) – contact the appropriate authorities without delay.

I have read a spam email but didn't open the attachment, is my computer infected?

Reading an email is harmless; systems are infected when malicious attachments or links are opened/clicked.

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

Whether the system was compromised might depend on the format of the opened file. Executables cause infections almost without fail (upon being opened). However, some formats – like documents (.doc, .xls, .one, .pdf, etc.) – may need extra interaction. In these instances, malware infiltration is initiated after macros are enabled, embedded content is clicked, or other actions are performed.

Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections present in email attachments?

Combo Cleaner can scan computers and eliminate all manner of threats. It is capable of detecting and removing most of the known malware infections. Remember that performing a complete system scan is paramount since sophisticated malicious software usually hides deep within systems.