How to spot scams like "Account Details Issue - Cloud Storage"

What is "Account Details Issue - Cloud Storage"?

Our inspection has revealed that it is a scam email designed to promote a pop-up scam, a site that uses scare tactics. It is disguised as a message about cloud storage issues to trick recipients into clicking the provided link. Emails like this one should be ignored and deleted to avoid potential risks.

More about the "Account Details Issue - Cloud Storage" scam email

The email claims that the recipient's cloud storage account has been locked due to an issue with renewing their subscription. It warns that photos, videos, and other data may be removed if the payment method is not updated. The email provides a fake subscription ID, product name, and expiration date, and urges the user to click a link to update account details.

Clicking the provided link (labeled "Update Account Details") leads to a scam website. The scam site claims the user's cloud storage is full and warns that documents, contacts, and device data are no longer backing up. It states that photos and videos are not uploading and that cloud-enabled apps are not syncing.

The site urges the user to click the "Continue" button to avoid losing data. After that, it displays a fake system scan and directs the user to a website whose address includes an affiliate ID. If the visitor purchases a subscription or product through that link, the scammer earns a commission.

Overall, this fraudulent scheme uses scare tactics, allowing scammers to profit from sales generated through their link. It is important to note that even if the promoted products are legitimate, the way they are marketed through this scam is deceptive.

Conclusion

This scam uses fake account warnings and urgent messages to trick users into following the provided instructions. The site displays bogus scans and pressures users to click links that benefit the scammer through affiliate commissions. Such schemes should not be trusted, and users should always use official channels when paying for products or services.

Some examples of similar scams are "Your Google Account Was Hacked", "McAfee - Threats Detected. Action Required!", and "Critical Security Alert". It is important to note that email can be used not only to promote scams but also to deliver malware.

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Malware is delivered via email by hiding it in attachments or sending malicious links. These attachments can look like normal files, such as documents, PDFs, executables, archives, or other files, but may actually contain malware. If a user opens the file and enables certain features, the malware infects a device.

Malicious links in emails can redirect users to fake or compromised websites. These sites may start automatic downloads or trick users into downloading and running a file or program, which can result in a system infection.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Avoid clicking on suspicious ads, pop-ups, or links while visiting shady sites. Do not allow questionable websites to send you notifications. Always download software and applications from official websites or trusted app stores, and stay away from pirated programs, activation tools, or cracking utilities.

Handle unexpected emails and messages carefully, particularly if they include attachments or links. Keep your operating system and applications up to date, and run regular security scans to help identify and remove potential threats.

The appearance of the scam website promoted through the deceptive email (GIF):

Text in the fake alert:

Warning! Your Cloud Storage Is Full.

Because you've exceeded your storage plan, your documents, contacts, and device data are no longer backing up to Cloud and your photos and videos are not uploading to Cloud Photos. Cloud Drive and Cloud-enabled apps are not updating across your devices.

Your data will be lost without security protection if no urgent action is taken.

[Continue]

Text presented in the "Account Details Issue - Cloud Storage" email letter:

Subject: -, Your_Cloud_Account has been locked on 02-06-2026. Your_photos and videos will be_removed!

Account details Issue - Cloud Storage

Dear User,

We encountered an issue while attempting to renew your Cloud storage subscription.

Unfortunately, your current payment method is not available. To ensure your Cloud storage continues without interruption, please update your account details.

Subscription ID: 5632729

Product: Cloud Storage Premium

Expiration Date: 02-06-2026

If you do not update your payment method, you may lose access to your Cloud storage, which may prevent you from saving and syncing your data such as photos, videos, and documents.
Update Account Details

For your security, we recommend:

Always accessing your account through our official website
Never sharing your password with anyone
Ensuring your contact information is up to date

Thank you for trusting us with your data.

Best regards,
Cloud Storage Customer Service Team

Contact Support | Account Settings

© 2023 Cloud Storage. All rights reserved.
123 Cloud Drive, Data Center, CA 94107

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Quick menu:

• What is Account Details Issue - Cloud Storage scam 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?

Fraudsters send identical emails to all recipients, hoping a few recipients will respond or follow the provided instructions.

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

If login credentials were exposed, update the passwords for the affected accounts. If sensitive information like credit card numbers or personal IDs was shared, contact your bank or the appropriate authorities right away.

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

The risk varies by file type. Executable files can launch malware immediately when opened, while files like PDFs or Word documents typically require the user to take further actions before causing harm.

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

A system can only be infected if the user clicks on deceptive links or opens malicious attachments.

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

Combo Cleaner can detect and remove most known malware, but some sophisticated threats may hide deep within the system. Running a full system scan is recommended to ensure all hidden malicious components are identified and removed.