How to identify scams like "IMAP/POP3 Mail Server Verification Failure"

What kind of scam is "IMAP/POP3 Mail Server Verification Failure"?

We have reviewed the email and found it to be a phishing attempt. The message is disguised as a notification from the email service provider. Its purpose is to trick recipients into opening the provided website and entering personal information on it. Recipients should ignore this fraudulent email.

More about the "IMAP/POP3 Mail Server Verification Failure" scam email

This scam email claims there was a failure to verify the recipient's IMAP/POP3 mail server credentials. It warns that the recipient's mail capacity is restricted and the mailbox will be suspended within 48 hours if they do not validate their account. The message urges the recipient to use the "Authenticate Now" button/link to avoid losing access.

The included link leads to a fake website designed to steal email account login credentials. Stolen accounts can be used to harvest information, spread scams, distribute malware, and engage in other malicious activities. Also, scammers may try to access social media, banking, gaming, or other accounts using the stolen login details.

Moreover, stolen information can be sold to third parties (other cybercriminals). Thus, falling for a scam like this one can result in various issues, including account hijacking, monetary loss, identity theft, and reputational damage. Suspicious emails should be examined before interacting with them to avoid potential issues.

Conclusion

This scam email is a phishing attempt aimed at stealing email login credentials. Falling for it can lead to account hijacking, identity theft, financial loss, and other consequences, so suspicious emails should be treated with caution. Sometimes, falling for them can lead to computer infections.

More examples of phishing emails are "Storage Usage Alert Email Scam", "Zoho Mail Upgrade Email Scam", and "Repair And Protection Email Scam".

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Deceptive emails used to distribute malicious software are used to trick recipients into infecting their computers via infected attachments or links. Cybercriminals may attach infected documents like Word, Excel, or PDF files, executable files, compressed files (ZIP, RAR), ISO images, etc. The malware activates when the file is opened or additional actions are taken.

When links in these emails are included, they can lead to unsafe or compromised websites. These sites may automatically download malware or try to convince users to download and run it themselves.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Only download programs from official websites or trusted app stores, and avoid using pirated software, cracks, or keygens. Keep your operating system and apps up to date. Run regular scans with reliable security software. Be cautious with emails or messages from unknown senders, and do not open attachments or click links unless you are certain they are trustworthy.

When browsing the web, avoid interacting with suspicious pop-ups, ads, buttons, links, or other content on dubious sites. Never allow notifications from pages you do not trust.

Text presented in the "IMAP/POP3 Mail Server Verification Failure" email letter:

Subject: Authentication Time Our Error !

IMAP/POP3 MAIL SERVER VERIFICATION FAILURE

Receiver: ********

We were unable to validate your imap/pop3 credentials.
Due to this error, we were unable to lift the restriction your inbound/outbound mail capacity until you validate your account

Note: Your mailbox will be suspended after 48 hours if you fail to submit this report.

Authenticate Now !

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Quick menu:

• What is IMAP/POP3 Mail Server Verification Failure 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?

Cybercriminals often send such messages to large lists of email addresses obtained from leaks or other sources, rather than choosing recipients individually.

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

Users should immediately change compromised passwords and notify the appropriate authorities if personal or financial data may be at risk.

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

Some files, such as executables or scripts, can launch malware immediately, while documents typically pose little risk unless they use features like macros. Generally, it depends on the file type and actions taken.

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

Malware requires user interaction, such as opening files or clicking links, to infect a system. Simply viewing an email is safe.

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

Combo Cleaner effectively eliminates most known malware, but complete scans may be necessary for advanced infections.