How to recognize scams like "Revalidate Multi-Factor Authentication"

What kind of scam is the fake "Revalidate Multi-Factor Authentication"?

Our analysis shows that this is a phishing email designed to appear like an official message from the "IT Service Desk". The scammers behind this scam seek to trick recipients into opening a fraudulent website and disclosing personal information. This message should be ignored to avoid account hijacking and further issues.

More about the "Revalidate Multi-Factor Authentication" scam email

The email claims that, due to a recent security upgrade, the recipient must revalidate their multi-factor authentication enrollment. It warns that failure to confirm credentials may result in temporary loss of access. The message urges the recipient to use the provided link to review or update MFA settings.

That link opens a fraudulent site created to resemble the recipient's real email provider, whether it is Gmail, Yahoo Mail, or another service. The page prompts visitors to enter their login credentials, but any information submitted is stolen by scammers. The pilfered details can then be used to gain unauthorized access to the email account.

Compromised accounts may be exploited to extract sensitive data, distribute scam messages, spread malware, or perform other malicious activities. Fraudsters often reuse stolen login details to attempt access to additional accounts, including banking, social media, and other services.

Thus, suspicious emails should be carefully reviewed before clicking links or providing any confidential information.

Conclusion

This is a phishing scam used to steal email login credentials through a fake multi-factor authentication revalidation. Falling for it can lead to account takeover and further misuse of personal information. Always verify unexpected emails before clicking links or entering sensitive data.

More examples of scam emails are "Account Details Issue - Cloud Storage Email Scam", "Ethereum Powerball PowerPlay Reward Email Scam", and "Entersoft - Electronic Document Has Been Sent Email Scam". In some cases, deceptive emails can be used to deliver malware.

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Malware is often delivered through email attachments. These files can be MS Office documents, PDFs, ZIP or RAR archives, executables, and other files. They are designed to appear legitimate, but contain malware. Opening them or enabling features like macros can lead to a system infection.

Emails can also include links to fraudulent or unsafe websites. Visiting these sites may trigger automatic malware downloads or trick users into installing malicious programs, leading to infection.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Keep your operating system and applications up to date. Always scrutinize unexpected or unrelated emails and messages, especially those that include attachments or links. Perform regular scans using a trusted security program.

Be cautious when browsing the web - avoid clicking on links, suspicious ads, or pop-ups on dubious pages, and do not allow those sites to show notifications. Get software from official sources or reputable app stores, and never use pirated programs, cracks, or unofficial activators.

Text presented in the "Revalidate Multi-Factor Authentication" email letter:

Subject: MFA Revalidation Required

Hi ********,

As part of the recent security upgrade, users are required to revalidate multi-factor authentication enrollment.
Please confirm your credentials to avoid temporary access interruption.

View Updated MFA Settings

IT Service Desk
********

Fake website used in this scam:

Another example of an email from "Revalidate Multi-Factor Authentication" spam campaign:

Text presented within:

Subject: Authentication Policy Update – Re-Enrollment Notice

Dear ********,

Following the MFA enhancement deployed on February 17 2026, you are required to revalidate multi-factor authentication enrollment.
You may be prompted to re-authenticate to ensure uninterrupted access to email and shared resources.

Please confirm your credentials to avoid temporary access interruption.

Access the IT Service Portal to complete re-enrollment.

Revalidate Session

IT Operations
********

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Quick menu:

• What is Revalidate Multi-Factor Authentication 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 fraudulent emails are commonly sent to multiple recipients at once. The addresses are usually collected from compromised databases or unsafe online sources (e.g., fake login pages).

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

Change the passwords for any accounts that might have been compromised. If personal or financial information was exposed, contact your bank or the appropriate authorities.

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

It depends on a file format and user interaction. Files like executables may infect a system immediately, while documents and other files often require enabling features or other steps to cause damage.

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

An email cannot harm a system just by being opened. Threats occur only when malicious attachments or links are accessed/opened.

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

Combo Cleaner removes most malicious software, but advanced malware can sometimes evade detection. Performing a full scan helps ensure all hidden threats are identified and removed.