How to identify fake "IMAP/POP3 Configuration Error" emails

What kind of email is "IMAP/POP3 Configuration Error"?

After examining this "IMAP/POP3 Configuration Error" email, we determined that it is spam. The message claims the recipient has pending emails due to service disruptions. The goal of this phishing campaign is to trick recipients into revealing their email account log-in credentials.

"IMAP/POP3 Configuration Error" email scam overview

The spam email with the subject "Action Required on your Email Settings" (may vary) states that an IMAP/POP3 configuration error occurred. Due to this, service interruptions have occurred, and incoming emails have been withheld from the inbox. The recipient is instructed to check their account settings, review the pending messages, and fix the error.

It must be stressed that all the claims made by this email are false, and this mail is not associated with any real service providers or other entities.

The phishing site promoted by this campaign impersonates the recipient's email account sign-in page (screenshot of a Gmail impersonator can be found below). Webpages of this kind are designed to record provided data and send it to scammers. Stolen emails can be abused in various ways; cyber criminals may even attempt to steal linked accounts, platforms, and services.

Scammers can steal the account owner's identity (e.g., emails, social networking/media, messengers, etc.) and request loans or donations from contacts/friends/followers, promote scams, and spread malware by sharing malicious links or files. Hijacked finance-related accounts (e.g., online banking, e-commerce, money transferring, digital wallets, etc.) can be used to make fraudulent transactions or online purchases.

It is noteworthy that work accounts are commonly targeted with the goal of infecting the corporate network with trojans, ransomware, and other malware.

To summarize, victims of scam emails like "IMAP/POP3 Configuration Error" can experience system infections, severe privacy issues, financial losses, and identity theft.

If you have disclosed your log-in credentials to a phishing site/file – immediately change the passwords of all potentially compromised accounts and inform their official support.

Phishing spam campaign examples

"Wells Fargo - Suspicious Card Activity Detected", "Plesk - Resource Usage Limits", and "Monthly Employee Paylist" are merely a couple of our latest articles on phishing emails.

Aside from log-in credentials, these emails also target personally identifiable details, financial data, and other sensitive information. Various scams are promoted through spam mail, and it is used in malware distribution.

Due to how prevalent this mail is and how well-disguised it can be – we highly recommend exercising caution with incoming emails, PMs/DMs, SMSes, and other messages.

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Malspam is a widely used malware distribution technique. These emails/messages include malicious files as attachments or download links. Virulent files can be archives (ZIP, RAR, etc.), executables (EXE, RUN, etc.), documents (PDF, Microsoft Office, Microsoft OneNote, etc.), JavaScript, and so on.

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

How to avoid installation of malware?

Incoming emails and other communications must be approached with care. We advise against opening attachments or links found in suspicious mail must not be opened, as they can be infectious.

However, malware is distributed using various methods. Therefore, we recommend being careful while browsing, as fake and dangerous online content typically appears legitimate and harmless.

Another recommendation is to download only from official and verified sources. All programs must be activated and updated using functions/tools provided by genuine developers, as illegal activation ("cracking") tools and third-party updates can contain malware.

We must emphasize that having a reputable antivirus installed and kept updated is paramount. Security software must be used to run regular system scans and to remove detected threats and issues. 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 "IMAP/POP3 Configuration Error" spam email letter:

Subject: Action Required on your Email Settings

IMAP/POP3 Configuration Error

Attention: ********,

Your incoming messages has been placed on-hold due to some mailbox interruptions.
Go to Email account settings below to review held messages and fix bugs.

Go to Email Account Settings
1/20/2026 12:49:49 p.m...

Failure to review your account may cause login interruption to ******** Mail Server.

Screenshot of the phishing website promoted by the "IMAP/POP3 Configuration Error" spam campaign:

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Quick menu:

• What is "IMAP/POP3 Configuration Error" 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 of such nature. Thousands of users receive identical (or incredibly similar) messages because they are distributed through mass-scale campaigns.

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

If you have disclosed your log-in credentials – immediately change the passwords of all potentially exposed accounts and inform their official support. However, if you have disclosed other private information (e.g., ID card details, passport scans, credit card numbers, etc.) – contact relevant authorities without delay.

I have read a spam email but didn't open the attachment, is my computer infected?

No, 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?

If the opened file was an executable (.exe, .run, etc.) – most likely, yes – the device was infected. However, certain formats – such as documents (.doc, .xls, .pdf, etc.) – might need additional actions (e.g., enabling macros, clicking embedded content, etc.) to initiate malware infiltration processes.

Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections present in email attachments?

Yes, Combo Cleaner can detect and remove most of the known malware infections. Remember that performing a complete system scan is paramount since high-end malicious software usually hides deep within systems.