How to recognize fake "American Express - Account On Hold" emails

What kind of email is "American Express - Account On Hold"?

Our inspection of the "American Express - Account On Hold" email revealed that it is fake. This spam message notifies the recipient of a mandatory identity verification. The goal of this phishing campaign is to obtain victims' banking account log-in credentials. It must be stressed that this email is not associated with the actual American Express Company (Amex).

"American Express - Account On Hold" email scam overview

The spam email with the subject "Action Required: Verify Your Identity." (may vary) states that the recipient's American Express account is on hold. This is a compulsory security review, and account owners must complete a short identity verification process. Afterward, the restriction will be lifted.

It must be reiterated that the claims made in this spam message are false, and this email is in no way associated with American Express.

At the time of research, the endorsed phishing site was down. Keep in mind that this could be fixed in potential future releases (i.e., emails will redirect to a functional webpage).

Emails of this kind typically promote fake American Express account sign-in pages. Log-in credentials entered into such webpages are recorded and sent to scammers, thus enabling them to steal the exposed account. Hijacked finance-related accounts can be used to carry out financial fraud, such as making unauthorized transactions or online purchases.

To summarize, by trusting an email like "American Express - Account On Hold" – users can experience severe privacy issues, financial losses, and identity theft.

If you have already provided your log-in credentials to a phishing website (or file) – immediately change the passwords of all potentially exposed accounts and inform their official support. It might also be necessary to contact the corresponding authorities.

Phishing spam campaign examples

We have investigated countless spam campaigns; "Action Required: Update Your Email", "Security Alert: Unsuccessful Login On A New Device", and "Ledger Account Backup" are merely a few of our latest articles on phishing emails.

Commonly targeted information includes log-in credentials, personally identifiable details, and financial data. Various scams are promoted through spam mail, and it is also used to distribute all kinds of malware.

While the widely held belief that these emails are poorly written and riddled with grammatical/spelling mistakes is not untrue, this is not always the case. This mail can be competently put together and even believably disguised as messages from legitimate entities (e.g., companies, service providers, institutions, organizations, authorities, etc.).

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Spam campaigns distribute malware through virulent files that can be attached to or linked inside the emails/messages. These files can be archives (ZIP, RAR, etc.), executables (EXE, RUN, etc.), documents (Microsoft Office, Microsoft OneNote, PDF, etc.), JavaScript, and so forth.

Once such a file is opened – the infection chain is jumpstarted. However, some formats need additional user interaction. For example, Microsoft Office files require users to enable macro commands (i.e., editing/content), while OneNote documents need them to click on embedded links or files.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Incoming emails and other messages must be approached with caution. We advise against opening attachments or links found in suspicious/irrelevant mail, as they may be infectious.

It must be mentioned that malware is proliferated using various methods. Therefore, we recommend being vigilant when browsing, as the Internet is rife with deceptive and dangerous content. Additionally, all downloads must be made from official and verified sources. Another recommendation is to activate and update programs using genuine functions/tools, as illegal activation ("cracking") tools and fake updates can contain malware.

It is paramount to have a dependable antivirus installed and kept up-to-date. Security software must be used to perform regular system scans and to remove detected threats. 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 "American Express - Account On Hold" spam email letter:

Subject: Action Required: Verify Your Identity.

American Express

********,
Account on Hold Until Identity is Confirmed.

For your protection, we've placed a brief hold on your account while we confirm your identity.

We've temporarily placed a hold on your account while we complete a compulsory routine security review.

We're asking all customers in this situation to complete a quick identity check.

To resolve this quickly, please log in and complete the security check.

Logon amex.com

Once you complete the verification, the hold will be lifted immediately.

Your account security is our top priority. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

Thank you for your Card Membership.

Sincerely,

The American Express Protection Team.

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 "American Express - Account On Hold" 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. These messages are sent out in mass-scale operations – therefore, thousands of users receive identical (or incredibly similar) emails.

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 without delay. However, if you've disclosed other private information (e.g., ID card details, credit card/debit numbers, etc.) – immediately contact the appropriate authorities.

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?

File formats may influence infection success rates. Once opened, executables cause infections almost without fail. However, some formats – such as documents – may need extra interaction (e.g., clicking embedded content, enabling macros, etc.) to initiate malware infiltration processes.

Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections present in email attachments?

Combo Cleaner is designed to scan computers and eliminate all kinds of threats. It is capable of detecting and removing most of the known malware infections. It must be emphasized that running a complete system scan is key – since high-end malicious software typically hides deep within systems.