How to identify scams like "Payment-Related Document In Secure PDF Format"

What kind of scam is "Payment-Related Document In Secure PDF Format"?

We have reviewed the email and determined that it is a phishing email posing as a notification regarding a payment-related document. Its purpose is to deceive recipients into opening the provided website and entering personal information. This and similar emails should be ignored to avoid account hijacking and further issues.

More about the "Payment-Related Document In Secure PDF Format" scam email

The email claims that it is an automated notification sent to inform the recipient that a payment-related document in secure PDF format has been generated and is available for access. It states that the document is not attached to the email and must be accessed via the provided link.

The email claims that a verification step may be required before the document can be viewed to ensure confidentiality and protect financial information. It urges the recipient to review the document promptly and provides a support contact for assistance. The email is presented as an automated message from Adobe Systems Support Services.

Clicking the provided link leads to a fake email account login website designed to mimic the appearance of the recipient's email provider (e.g., Gmail or Yahoo Mail). This site is designed to steal email account login credentials. Scammers can use this information to steal email accounts.

Hijacked accounts are usually used to send deceptive messages, spread malware, steal personal information, or carry out other harmful actions. The compromised credentials might also be exploited to gain access to other accounts, such as social media, banking, or gaming services. For these reasons, it is crucial to disregard such scam emails to avoid the associated issues.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this email is a phishing scam designed to steal login credentials via a fake login page. Falling for it can lead to email account hijacking, identity theft, financial loss, and other negative outcomes. It is highly advisable to ignore the message and avoid clicking any links or providing personal information.

Sometimes, recipients of such emails can be tricked into infecting computers. Examples of similar scams are "Wells Fargo - Pending Wire Transfer Email Scam", "Dubai Pay - Refund Claim Email Scam", and "Webmail Profile Will Be Deactivated Email Scam". In some cases, deceptive emails can be used to distribute malicious software.

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Threat actors behind emails used to deliver malware use malicious attachments or links. They send malicious Word, Excel, or PDF files, archives, scripts, or executables, and opening them (or taking additional actions) can trigger malware execution on the device.

Links within these emails may lead to fake websites that either automatically download malware or trick users into downloading and running it. In general, malware requires user interaction to infect a system and cannot operate on its own.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Users should be careful with emails or messages from unfamiliar senders, avoiding clicks on links or opening attachments that may be unsafe. Content on unreliable websites, including pop-ups, ads, or buttons, should be treated with suspicion, and requests to send notifications from these sites should be rejected

Software should be downloaded only from official sources or reputable app stores, while pirated programs, cracks, and key generators should be avoided. Keeping the operating system and applications up to date, along with running regular scans using trusted security software, adds an extra layer of protection against potential threats.

Text presented in the "Payment-Related Document In Secure PDF Format" email letter:

Subject: Automated Notice: Secure Payment Document Available

This is an automated notification to inform you that a payment-related document in secure PDF format has been generated and is available for access.

In accordance with standard banking security protocols, the document is not attached to this email. To view and download the document, please use the secure link provided below:

[Transaction Receipt.pdf]

You may be required to complete a brief verification step before access is granted. This measure is in place to ensure confidentiality and protect your financial information.

We recommend reviewing the document promptly. Should you experience any difficulty accessing the file or require further assistance, please contact the support channel indicated below.
[Support Contact Information].

This is an automated message. Please do not reply to this email.

Sincerely,
Adobe Systems
Support Services

Sincerely,
Adobe Systems

Fake website in this scam:

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Quick menu:

• What is Payment-Related Document In Secure PDF Format 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 impersonal and sent to large number of people simultaneously. The recipients' email addresses are often collected from data leaks, fake or stolen websites, or various other sources.

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

If there is a possibility that an account has been breached, the user should update the password without delay. Any stolen personal information, such as identification numbers or credit card data, should be reported to the relevant authorities.

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

The risk of infection varies based on the file type and the user's actions. Executable files or scripts can compromise a system immediately when opened, while documents and similar files are usually harmless unless the user takes additional steps that trigger the malware.

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

Simply viewing an email without interacting with a malicious file or link does not expose the system to malware.

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

Combo Cleaner can identify and remove most common threats, but advanced or deeply hidden malware might require a thorough full system scan to ensure elimination.