How to identify scams like "Your Webmail Account Is Inactive"

What kind of scam is "Your Webmail Account Is Inactive"?

Our team has examined the email and concluded that it is a phishing attempt. It is disguised as a notification from the email service provider and includes a deceptive link that is used to trick recipients into opening a fake login page. The goal is to steal personal information from unsuspecting recipients.

More about the "Your Webmail Account Is Inactive" scam email

This email claims that the recipient's account is inactive and that they will not receive emails. The message urges the recipient to "activate" their account by clicking the provided link ("ACTIVATE ACCOUNT" button). This link opens a fake login site designed to steal email addresses and passwords (email account login credentials). Sometimes, such fake sites can be designed to look like legitimate services (e.g., email providers). 

Fraudsters can use the stolen login credentials to hijack email accounts and exploit them in multiple ways. They might send fraudulent messages to contacts, search for sensitive data in emails, or spread malware. Stolen login details can also be used in attempts to access social media, banking, and other online accounts, potentially resulting in identity theft, financial loss, or other serious consequences.

It is essential to exercise caution with emails like this one to avoid the associated risks. If a message seems suspicious, it should be ignored and deleted.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this email is a phishing scam designed to trick recipients into revealing their email login credentials. By pretending the account is inactive and prompting urgent action, it lures users to a fake login page. Falling for such scams can allow fraudsters to hijack email accounts.

Sometimes, emails of this kind can be used to distribute malware (to trick recipients into infecting their computers). Examples of similar scams are "cPanel Mailbox Settings Might Need An Update Email Scam", "Amazon - Your Package Was Delivered Email Scam", and "Webmail System Update Email Scam".

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Fraudulent emails often include malicious attachments, such as Word or Excel documents, PDFs, executable files (.exe), compressed files (ZIP or RAR), scripts, or ISO images. Opening these files or taking further actions after opening them can start malware infiltration.

These emails can also contain links that lead to harmful websites, which may automatically download malware or deceive users into executing it. In most cases, infections occur after the recipient interacts with these attachments or links.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Regularly update your operating system and applications, and use reliable security software to run scans. Be cautious with unexpected messages or emails from unknown senders, and avoid opening attachments or clicking links from suspicious sources. Only download programs from official websites or trusted app stores, and never use pirated software, cracks, or keygens.

Additionally, refrain from interacting with pop-ups, ads, or buttons on untrusted websites, and never agree to receive notifications from such sites.

Text presented in the "Your Webmail Account Is Inactive" email letter:

Subject: Invalid Email Received

Dear Customer Service,
********

Your Account Protection Is Our Priority

Our records show that your Webmail Account is Inactive.

Therefore, your account will be temporarily blocked from sending or receiving email from other user account features.

Please activate your account through our secure gateway access below.

ACTIVATE ACCOUNT

Thank you for your support,

******** Customer Service

©copyright 1975-2022. All rights reserved.
This email contains a secure link.

Fake website used in this scam:

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Quick menu:

• What is Your Webmail Account Is Inactive 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?

These messages are usually sent to large groups of recipients and do not include any personal information. The email addresses are often collected from data breaches, other scams, or similar sources.

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

Update the passwords for any potentially affected accounts and notify the relevant authorities or organizations if sensitive information, such as financial data, may have been compromised.

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

Certain files, like executables, can immediately compromise a system, whereas others, such as documents, typically pose a risk only if macros are enabled. Therefore, the chance of a system being compromised depends on the type of file that was opened.

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

Receiving and opening an email is generally harmless, but a device can become infected if the user opens a malicious attachment or clicks on a dangerous link.

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

Combo Cleaner can remove malware, and performing a comprehensive full scan helps detect and eliminate even hidden or advanced threats.