How to spot scams like "Mail Cloud System Update"

What kind of scam is "Mail Cloud System Update"?

Our examination has revealed that this is a phishing email presented as a system update notification from the email service provider. The scammers behind this fraudulent email aim to steal personal information via a fake login website. This scam email should be ignored to avoid the associated risks.

More about the "Mail Cloud System Update" scam email

The email claims to be regarding a critical system update from a webmail service provider. It tells the recipient that their current webmail version is outdated and will be permanently discontinued. The message warns about potential service interruptions, security risks, or complete loss of access if the update is not performed immediately.

It urges the recipient to update to the latest version to maintain service, security, and performance, and provides a link labeled "UpDaTe NoW" to perform the update. The email also claims that failure to act may lead to restricted or terminated access.

The link/button in this email directs recipients to a fake login website that can be designed to mimic the appearance of their provider (e.g., Yahoo Mail or Gmail). The fake site is used to steal login credentials for email accounts from unsuspecting individuals.

If stolen, those details can be used to hijack email accounts. Compromised accounts can be used to check for sensitive information and to distribute malware or spread scams. Fraudsters can also try to access social media, banking, or other accounts with stolen information or sell the obtained details to third parties.

Thus, it is important to know how to recognize scam emails and never respond to them or disclose sensitive details on the provided pages.

Conclusion

This email is a phishing scam designed to steal login credentials by posing as a critical system update. Recipients who follow the instructions risk having their email accounts hijacked, potentially exposing other personal or financial information. Sometimes, falling for scam emails can lead to malware infiltration.

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

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Fraudulent emails are often used to deliver malware by convincing recipients to open infected attachments or click on harmful links. Cybercriminals may include files such as Word, Excel, or PDF documents, executables, archive files (such as ZIP or RAR), or disk images that activate the malware when opened or interacted with further.

Links in these messages can direct users to websites that either automatically download malware or attempt to persuade users to download and run it manually.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Exercise caution with emails or messages from unknown senders, and do not open attachments or click links unless their legitimacy is certain. Avoid engaging with suspicious pop-ups, ads, buttons, links, or other content on untrustworthy websites. Do not allow such pages to send notifications.

Software should only be downloaded from official sources or reputable app stores, while pirated software, cracks, and key generators should be avoided. It is also important to keep the operating system and applications up to date and to perform regular scans with trusted security software.

Text presented in the "Mail Cloud System Update" email letter:

Subject: ******** Mailbox confirmation required to continue service.

Mail Cloud System Update

Dear ********,

Your current webmail version is no longer supported and will be permanently discontinued. If you do not update immediately, you may experience service interruption, security risks, or complete loss of webmail access.

To maintain uninterrupted service, enhanced security, and optimal performance, you must update to the latest webmail version now.

Failure to take action may result in restricted or terminated access without further notice.

If you require assistance, contact our support team immediately
UpDaTe NoW

Critical: This update ensures compliance with the latest security standards.

2026 CPanel Inc
Rights reserved ********
Our Services | Unsubscribe | Contact us

Fake website used in this scam:

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Quick menu:

• What is Fake Mail Cloud System Update email notification?
• 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?

Such emails are commonly sent to thousands of addresses at once, often gathered from compromised databases or other sources. They are not personal/targeted.

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

Users should promptly update any exposed passwords and inform the relevant authorities if personal (e.g., financial) information is compromised.

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

Certain files, such as executables or scripts, can run malware as soon as they are opened, whereas documents are usually harmless unless features like macros are enabled. Overall, the risk depends on the file type and the user's actions.

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

Malware typically needs user interaction, such as opening an attachment or clicking a link, to infect a system. Merely viewing an email does not pose a risk.

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

Combo Cleaner can remove most known malware, though advanced infections may require running a full system scan.