How to recognize scams like "Webmail - IMAP Authentication Process Issue"

What is "Webmail - IMAP Authentication Process Issue" scam?

Our team has inspected the email and found that it is a fake notification from an email service provider. It is crafted to appear legitimate to trick recipients into opening a deceptive website and following the provided instructions. Trusting this email can lead to account hijacking and other problems. Thus, it should be avoided.

More about the "Webmail - IMAP Authentication Process Issue" scam email

This phishing email claims that there is an issue with the IMAP authentication process and urges the recipient to manually authenticate their account by clicking a provided link ("AUTHENTICATE IMAP" button). The message warns that failure to do so may lead to disrupted email access and delayed communication.

It also provides instructions involving entering account credentials and re-authenticating the IMAP service to appear legitimate. All of the claims in this message are false and used to lure recipients into a fake site through the provided link. That page is designed to steal login credentials (email addresses and passwords) from recipients.

If stolen, these details can be used to access email (and possibly other) accounts. Once accessed, email accounts can be used to scam others through deceptive messages. Also, they can be misused to deliver malware or harvest additional personal information (e.g., banking details) from emails.

Moreover, pilfered login information can be used in attempts to gain access to banking, social media, gaming, or other accounts or sold to third parties. This could lead to unauthorized purchases and transactions, identity theft, and other issues. Overall, emails like this one should not be trusted and should be deleted if ever received.

Similar scam emails in general

Emails like this are phishing scams that try to trick recipients into disclosing sensitive information, such as usernames, passwords, or financial details. They often appear as urgent and important messages and contain links to deceptive pages. Sometimes, they can be used to distribute malware.

More examples of 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?

Cybercriminals often deliver malware through email by including files such as malicious Word or Excel documents, PDFs, archives, scripts, or executable files. The malware is typically activated when the recipient opens the file or follows specific instructions (e.g., enabling macros in documents).

Emails can also contain links to deceptive or compromised websites. Visiting these sites may automatically download malware or try to trick users into downloading harmful software. Typically, infections occur only when the recipient interacts with the malicious content.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Always download software or files from official sources or trusted app stores, and avoid using pirated programs, cracks, or key generators. Be cautious of ads, pop-ups, buttons, or links on questionable websites, and refuse any notification requests from them.

Keep your operating system and applications up to date by installing the latest updates. Regularly run scans on your devices using reliable security software. Exercise caution when receiving unexpected emails or messages, especially from unknown senders, and refrain from opening attachments or clicking links they include.

Text presented in the "Webmail - IMAP Authentication Process Issue" email letter:

Subject: Update Internet Message Access Protocol

Automated system has detected an ongoing issue affecting the IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) authentication process for your email account ********. This issue requires users to manually authenticate their IMAP service to regain access to their emails.

Failure to promptly address this issue and authenticate your IMAP service may result in the following disadvantages:

Disrupted Email Access: Without proper IMAP authentication, you may experience difficulties accessing your emails, leading to disruptions in your workflow and communication.

Delayed Communication: Inability to authenticate IMAP services may delay the receipt and response to important emails, potentially impacting your professional or personal engagements.

AUTHENTICATE IMAP

1. Click on the above link.

2. Navigate to the account settings or preferences section.

3. Ensure that the username and password fields are correctly filled in with your email account credentials.

4. If prompted, review and re-enter your email account password to authenticate the IMAP service.

5. Save the changes and attempt to access your emails again.

If you encounter any difficulties during this process, please don't hesitate to contact our support team

This process can be completed on any device connected to the internet.

cP

Copyright© 2025 cPanel, L.L.C.

Instant automatic malware removal:

Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced IT skills. Combo Cleaner is a professional automatic malware removal tool that is recommended to get rid of malware. Download it by clicking the button below:

By downloading any software listed on this website you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. 7 days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by RCS LT, the parent company of PCRisk.com.

Quick menu:

• What is Webmail - IMAP Authentication Process Issue phishing attempt?
• 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?

Most scammers gather email addresses from data breaches or fraudulent websites. Their messages are usually impersonal, generic, and sent to large numbers of recipients simultaneously.

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

If someone has gained access to your account login information (like your username and password), you should immediately change the passwords for any accounts that could be affected. If other sensitive information, such as bank account details, credit card numbers, or ID details, has been stolen, you should inform the relevant authorities.

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

The risk depends on the type of file. For instance, infected executable files can deploy malware right away, while documents are safer unless users enable features like macros.

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

A system is only at risk when a user interacts with a malicious link or attachment. Viewing the email does not cause infection.

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

Combo Cleaner can identify and remove most typical threats, but running a full system scan is advised to detect and eliminate hidden or more advanced malware.