How to spot scams like "iCloud - Updated Payment Method"

What is "iCloud - Updated Payment Method" scam?

Our inspection has shown that this is a phishing email disguised as a notification from iCloud support. It urges recipients to update their payment details using the provided link. The purpose of this scam is to trick recipients into disclosing personal information on a fraudulent website. Falling for it can result in account hijacking and possibly other issues.

More about the "iCloud - Updated Payment Method" scam email

This scam email claims that the recipient's iCloud account has been deactivated due to a failed payment. It states that the account is scheduled to be deactivated on the specified date, and warns that photos and videos stored in the account will be deleted.

The message instructs the recipient to update their payment method and complete a verification process to restore the account and prevent data loss. It presents fake subscription details, including the product name and the renewal date, and urges the recipient to update their payment information through a provided link labeled "Update payment method".

During our review, the site included in this scam email was down. Usually, pages used in phishing emails are designed to appear as legitimate login sites and to lure visitors into entering login credentials (e.g., email addresses and passwords). Stolen information is then used to hijack personal accounts (e.g., email, social media, or banking).

Accessed accounts can be misused to make fraudulent purchases or transactions, collect sensitive information, spread scams, distribute malware, and engage in other malicious activities. Thus, victims of such scams often experience financial losses, identity theft, reputational damage, and other negative consequences.

It is highly advisable to check suspicious emails before interacting with them to avoid potential risks.

Similar scam emails in general

Scams of this kind often impersonate trusted companies, such as Apple, to trick people into giving personal information. They often seem urgent and important and lead to fake websites that steal login credentials. In some cases, scammers use them to trick recipients into infecting their computers.

Here are more examples of similar scams: "Your Account Will Be Disabled Email Scam", "Fraudulent Activity Email Scam", and "Email Will Automatically Password Reset Scam".

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Malware infiltrates devices through emails that contain malicious links or attachments. These attachments might be documents (Word, Excel, PDF), compressed files (ZIP, RAR), scripts, or executable files, and the malware typically activates when the file is opened or when features like macros are enabled (or other additional steps are taken).

Emails can also include links to fake or compromised websites that either automatically download malware or trick users into downloading and running it. In all cases, email-based infections require the recipient to interact with the malicious file or link.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Be careful with emails or messages that arrive unexpectedly or appear unrelated, particularly if they include attachments or links. Open files or follow links only when you are completely sure that they are not malicious. Refrain from clicking on ads, pop-ups, or links on dubious websites, and do not allow untrusted sites to send notifications.

Regularly update your operating system and apps, and use trusted security software to scan your device. Download programs exclusively from official sources or reputable app stores, avoiding pirated software, cracks, or unauthorized activation tools.

The appearance of the scam email (GIF):

Text presented in the "iCloud - Updated Payment Method" email letter:

Subject: Ihr Konto wird am 13. März 2026 deaktiviert – Fotos & Videos

iCIoud
Payment failed – Please update your payment method.
iCIoud Storage
Your account has been deactivated
Payment method update required Your photos and videos will be deleted.
Subscription details
Tarif Storage
Email address ********
Product iCloud Storage
Renewal date 13.03.2026
Action required
Verification required Please update your payment method
Update payment method

This notification was generated automatically and concerns your iCloud storage plan.
Apple Services · iCIoud · Support
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Quick menu:

• What is iCloud - Updated Payment Method fake 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?

Scam emails are typically delivered to large numbers of people and often lack personal information. The email addresses are usually collected from data leaks, fraudulent websites, or other sources.

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

Change any passwords that may have been exposed right away, and contact your bank or appropriate authorities if your financial information might be at risk.

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

Malicious executable files can infect a device as soon as they are opened, while other types of files, like documents, usually become dangerous only if the user enables certain features or performs specific actions. The risk of infection depends on the type of file and how the user interacts with it.

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

Opening emails by itself is safe. Malware can only infect a device if the recipient interacts with harmful attachments or clicks on malicious links.

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

Combo Cleaner can remove most malware, but running a full system scan is recommended to detect any hidden or more sophisticated threats.