How to identify scams like "Standard Bank Account Statement"

What is the fake "Standard Bank Account Statement"?

We have reviewed the email and found that it contains a fake message from a bank regarding a business account statement. It is designed to trick users into opening the attached file and entering personal information on the deceptive form. This email should be ignored to avoid privacy risks.

More about the "Standard Bank Account Statement" scam email

The email claims to come from Standard Bank and informs the recipient that their monthly Business Online current account statement has been attached. It instructs the recipient to use Adobe Reader to open the file and provides a link to download the software.

The email also states that a password is required to view the statement, suggesting that it is based on personal information such as a South African ID number, passport number, account number, or company registration number. The purpose of this scam is likely to steal those details (or extract money) and additional details through a fake banking site.

Scammers may also attempt to obtain other sensitive information, such as credit card details or login credentials, or they may try to trick unsuspecting recipients into paying for fake services. Thus, falling for this scam can result in various issues, including monetary loss, identity theft, and account hijacking. If such an email is received, it should be ignored.

Conclusion

Overall, this scam email is designed to trick recipients into following the provided instructions. Falling for the scam can lead to financial loss, identity theft, compromised accounts, or other issues. Sometimes, emails of this kind can be used to distribute malware.

Examples of similar scam emails are "Message Has Been Blocked For Delivery Email Scam", "Mailbox Patch #13JCs20 Update Email Scam", and "Human Resources Report Email Scam".

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Threat actors often spread malware through email. They usually send messages with malicious attachments, like MS Office documents, PDFs, ZIP or RAR files, or executables. Malware can infiltrate after users open those files or take additional steps (e.g., when users enable macros in malicious documents).

These emails may also contain links that lead to malicious or hacked websites. Those sites might automatically try to download malware or trick the user into downloading it. The device only becomes infected if the user clicks a malicious link or opens an infected attachment.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Be cautious when downloading programs or files - stick to official websites or reputable app stores, and never download pirated software, cracks, or keygens. Avoid interacting with ads, buttons, pop-ups, or links on questionable websites, and deny any notification request from sites of this kind.

If you receive unexpected emails or messages, especially from unfamiliar senders, do not open their attachments or links. Make sure your operating system and applications stay up to date, and run routine scans with dependable security software.

The appearance of this scam email (GIF):

Text presented in the "Standard Bank Account Statement" email letter:

Subject: Business Online SA Account Statement 03122025

Standard Bank

YOUR CURRENT ACCOUNT STATEMENT

Dear Operator

Attached is your monthly Business Online current account statement.

How to open your statement:

You must have Adobe PDF Reader installed to view your e-statement. Download Adobe Reader for free at http://͏get.͏adobe.͏com/reader/.

You will need to enter a password to view your e-statement. Your password is

• Your South African ID number or passport number

• Your Account number or Company registration number if your account is under the name of a business

Need more spending power? Scan this QR code to apply for a Standard Bank Credit Card online:

*Always check that the domain you are directed to contains
'standardbank.co[.]za' with no variations before .co.za. and check for an https:// prefix or the lock icon to ensure your session is secure.

Please contact us regarding any concerns or queries and make sure to keep your contact details updated so that you continue to receive communications from us.

Kind Regards,
Standard Bank
Terms and conditions apply.

Please note that this is a No-Reply email address (no response will be provided).

Instant automatic malware removal:

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Quick menu:

• What is Fake Standard Bank Account Statement?
• 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?

Cybercriminals often gather email addresses from leaked data, bogus registration forms, or other collection methods. As a result, their messages rarely contain personal information. They are typically generic and sent to numerous recipients simultaneously.

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

If your login information has been exposed, update the passwords for every account that could be impacted right away. If other details (e.g., banking information or ID card details) have been stolen, contact the appropriate authorities or your bank.

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

Executable files can run malware (infect devices) as soon as they are opened, while documents usually pose a lower risk unless features like macros are enabled. Overall, the likelihood of getting a computer infected depends on the file type.

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

A device only gets infected if the user clicks a malicious link or opens a malicious attachment. Opening emails without interacting with their content is not harmful.

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

Combo Cleaner can find and remove most known threats, but running a complete system scan is advised to detect hidden or more advanced malware.