How to spot scams like "Security Warning" fake message

What is the fake "Security Warning"?

Our team has determined that this is a phishing email disguised as a security warning from the email service provider. The email provides a misleading link to trick recipients into opening a fake web page and revealing personal information. Victims of this scam may be unable to access their accounts and encounter additional issues.

More about the "Security Warning" scam email

This is a phishing attempt disguised as a security warning from a cPanel security team. It claims that all inactive accounts will be suspended starting from December 31, 2025 (the date may vary), and that any email not confirmed for a new privacy security update will be closed.

The message urges the recipient to confirm their session using a provided link (labeled "CONFIRM NOW") to continue accessing their account. It warns that ignoring the email may result in losing access to the account. Clicking the provided link opens a fake login website.

The site imitates the look of the recipient's email service. For instance, if the recipient uses Gmail, it pretends to be a Gmail login page. In any case, the page is designed to steal login credentials (passwords for email accounts). Scammers can misuse this information to hijack email and possibly other accounts.

Once they have access to an email account, they can exploit it to send scam emails, distribute malware, collect personal information from emails, or perform other malicious actions. Also, scammers may attempt to access other accounts, such as social media, banking, or gaming.

This can result in issues like identity theft, reputational damage, financial loss, or other problems. For these reasons, suspicious emails should be carefully examined before interacting with them.

Conclusion

This email is a fraudulent attempt to steal login credentials by mimicking a trusted service. Interacting with the message can lead to account takeover and further malicious activity. Users should always verify unexpected emails to avoid the associated risks (including computer infections).

Here are more examples of scam emails: "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?

When cybercriminals use email to distribute malware, they typically attach infected files, such as Word or Excel documents, PDFs, compressed ZIP or RAR files, script files, or executables. The malware can activate when the recipient opens these files or takes additional actions, like enabling macros in a document.

Emails may also include links to deceptive or compromised websites. Visiting these sites can initiate automatic malware downloads, or they may be designed to convince users to download malicious software. Generally, infections occur only when the user activates malware by taking specific actions.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Keep your operating system and applications up to date. Regularly scan your device with trusted security software. Be careful when receiving unexpected emails or messages, particularly from unknown senders, and avoid opening any attachments or clicking links they contain.

Download programs or files from official websites or reputable app stores, and never use pirated software, cracks, or keygens. Also, do not trust (click) ads, buttons, pop-ups, or links on suspicious websites, and always decline notification requests from such sites.

Text presented in the "Security Warning" email letter:

Security Warning

We are currently suspending all inactive accounts starting from 31 December 2025. All emails that have not been confirmed for the new privacy security update will be closed.

To continue using your access securely, please confirm your session using the link below

CONFIRM NOW ********

If you ignore this message, you may no longer be able to access your email account.

Thanks,
Support Team
© 2025 cPanel L.L.C Security Department. All rights reserved.

Fake website used to steal login credentials:

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Quick menu:

• What is Fake Security Warning?
• 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?

Scammers commonly obtain email addresses through data leaks, fake sites, or other techniques. Their emails usually lack personal details. They tend to be generic and are often sent to many recipients at once.

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

If your login credentials have been compromised, immediately change the passwords for all potentially affected accounts. If other sensitive information, such as banking or identification details, has been stolen, notify the relevant authorities or your financial institution.

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

Executable files can immediately install malware on a device when opened, whereas documents generally carry less risk unless features like macros are activated. In general, the chance of infection varies depending on the type of file.

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

A system becomes infected only after a user clicks a deceptive link or opens a malicious attachment. Simply opening an email without engaging with its content does not pose a risk.

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

Combo Cleaner can detect and eliminate most common threats, but performing a full system scan is recommended to detect and eliminate hidden or more sophisticated malware.