How to identify scams like "Johnson & Johnson Quotation Request"

What is the fake "Johnson & Johnson Quotation Request"?

Our analysis shows that this is a scam email (similar to the "Carlsberg Supply Quotation" scam) designed to appear as a request for quotation from a legitimate company. We concluded that the purpose of this deceptive email is to steal money and (or) information from unsuspecting recipients. Thus, it should be ignored.

More about the "Johnson & Johnson Quotation Request" scam email

The email is presented as a quotation request from Dennis J. Smith, the Global Procurement Manager at Johnson & Johnson Medical. It asks the recipient to provide a formal quote for 40 units of the "ND-FlowShield WTW-305 Pump". The message instructs that the quotation be sent to quotes@jnj-supplies.com for immediate approval.

It emphasizes that the quote should include pricing, lead time, delivery terms, validity period, and any applicable taxes or charges. Also, the message has a file named "J8J Product descriptions.pdf" (its name may vary) attached to it. The file contains a fake request for quotation and requirements for a quotation.

The fraudulent document states that all quotations must be sent electronically, and every piece of information is expected to be complete. Any changes made to the quotation must be initialed by an authorized representative of the tender. If a tenderer does not receive an order within three working days after the closing date and time, it can assume that its submission was unsuccessful.

Usually, scammers behind such schemes aim to extract personal information, such as credit card details, names and surnames, login credentials, or other details. They can also try to trick recipients into transferring money (e.g., by charging fake administrative fees). Such emails should be trusted and should be deleted if received.

Conclusion

The email is a fraudulent attempt to deceive recipients into providing personal information (most likely financial details) or making payments under the guise of a legitimate quotation request. It should not be trusted and must be deleted immediately. It is important to note that emails like this one can be used to distribute malware.

Examples of similar scam emails are "Monthly Employee Paylist Email Scam", "Cooperation To Receive Estate Email Scam", and "Official Account Restriction Notification Email Scam".

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Threat actors commonly spread malware through email by sending (attaching) malicious files. These can include infected documents, ZIP or RAR files, PDFs, executable files, scripts, ISO files, etc. When a user opens a malicious file or takes an additional step, the malware can be planted on their device.

Emails may also contain links to untrustworthy or hacked websites. Visiting or interacting with these sites can result in malware being downloaded, either automatically or by tricking the user into downloading it. An infection only occurs after the user clicks a malicious link or opens a malicious file.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Keep your operating system and applications up to date, and regularly scan your device using reputable security software. Avoid allowing suspicious or unfamiliar websites to send notifications. Be careful with unexpected emails or messages, especially those from unknown senders. Do not click links or open attachments unless you are confident they are legitimate.

Do not click on pop-ups, ads, buttons, or links on questionable websites. Download software from official websites or trusted app stores. Never use pirated software, cracks, or keygens, as these are a common source of malware.

Appearance of the fake document attached to the scam email:

Text presented in the "Johnson & Johnson Quotation Request" email letter:

Subject: Request for Quotation (RFQ)

Dear [Sir/Madam],

JOHNSON & JOHNSON BELGIUM (NV) hereby request a formal quotation for the supply of the following [product]:

Product: ND-FlowShield WTW-305 Pump
Quantity. 40 Pieces

Compulsory, Kindly send your quotation to:(quotes@jnj-supplies.com) for immediate approval.

Please ensure your quotation includes pricing, lead time, delivery terms, validity period, and any applicable taxes or charges.

Kindly submit your quotation no later than [deadline].

Should you require further information, please contact us at your convenience.

Yours faithfully,
Dennis J. Smith
Global Procurement Manager
Johnson & Johnson Medical NV
Address: Leonardo Da Vincilaan 15, 1831 Diegem, Belgium
VAT Number: BE 0425.967.580
Tel: + 32 480 20 5319

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Quick menu:

• What is Johnson & Johnson Quotation Request 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?

Scammers usually send these emails to many recipients at once without focusing on specific individuals. The email addresses are often collected from data breaches or compromised websites.

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

If account login details are exposed, users should change their passwords immediately and inform the relevant organizations if any personal or financial information has been compromised.

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

Executable files and scripts pose a bigger risk of malware infection, whereas documents like PDFs or Word files are generally safe unless macros are enabled or other actions trigger malicious code. The overall risk varies depending on the type of file.

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

Simply receiving emails is safe. Malware can infect a device only if attachments are opened or links within the email are clicked.

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

Combo Cleaner is capable of detecting and removing most malware, but more sophisticated threats may stay hidden in the system, so running a full system scan is recommended.