How to recognize scams like "RAM - Gift Parcel Delivery" fake notification

What is "RAM - Gift Parcel Delivery" fake message?

We have examined the email and concluded that it is a scam. The message is designed to appear as a delivery notification from a legitimate company. The scammers behind it seek to trick unsuspecting recipients into transferring money through the provided deceptive page. This scam email should be ignored to avoid potential financial loss.

More about the "RAM - Gift Parcel Delivery" scam email

The email is presented as a delivery notice. It claims that a parcel is on hold and requires urgent action. It states that a shipment with a reference number is scheduled to be returned unless a small clearance fee is paid within 24 hours, and it pressures the recipient by warning that their collection PIN has been suspended.

The message includes a link (labeled "Release Package Now") to release the package and urges recipients to do so quickly to avoid the item being sent back to the sender. This link leads to a fake RAM website (RAM is a legitimate courier services company) that instructs visitors to pay a shipping fee to complete the delivery.

On the site, visitors are first instructed to enter details such as their name, surname, ID number, email address, home address, and phone number. Then, the site requests credit card details, such as card number, cardholder name, expiry date, and CVV number. If entered, this information is sent to scammers.

Overall, the purpose of this scam is to trick victims into paying a fake fee and disclosing personal information. Falling for it can result in financial loss, identity theft, and possibly other negative outcomes.

Conclusion

This scam is designed to appear as an urgent notification and trick recipients into taking immediate action without verifying the message. Its goal is to collect both personal and financial information and steal money by directing users to a fraudulent website. Engaging with such messages can lead to serious consequences, including financial loss and identity theft.

Sometimes, scams like this are used to deliver malware. More examples of similar scam emails are "Storage Limit Reached", "Unusual Login Attempts And Password Attacks", and "Brief Service Interruption".

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Malware is commonly spread through emails in two main ways: infected attachments and deceptive links. Infected attachments can be documents (such as MS Office or PDF files), executables, ISO files, scripts, and compressed files, and contain hidden malware. When a user opens these files or interacts with them after opening, the malware can infiltrate a device.

Harmful links in emails lead to unsafe websites. These sites may automatically download malware or try to convince users to download and run malicious files or software manually.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Download programs only from official or trusted sources, and avoid pirated software, cracks, or key generators. Make sure your operating system and apps are always up to date. Stay away from suspicious ads, links, and content on untrustworthy websites, and do not allow such sites to send notifications.

Treat messages or emails from unknown senders with caution, especially if they include links or attachments, and only open them (files or links) if you are sure they are safe.

The appearance of the fake RAM website used in this scam (GIF):

Text presented in the "RAM - Gift Parcel Delivery" email letter:

Subject: PENDING RAM DELIVERY

Track parcel

Final Reminder: Shipment RL001097064 on Hold

Hi Customer,

This is a final reminder. We have your Gift Parcel ready for delivery in 24hrs.

Status: Scheduled for Return to Sender
Requirement: Clearance fee (R 16.13)
Collection PIN: Suspended

If the pending requirements are not cleared within 24 hours, the item will be returned to RAM.

Please secure the item below to reactivate your PIN and prevent return:

Release Package Now
Awaiting Clearance
Security Note: Always ensure you are on the official portal before entering details. We prioritize your security.

Happy shipping,
RAM

2026. All rights reserved.

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Quick menu:

• What is RAM - Gift Parcel Delivery fake delivery notice?
• 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 generic and distributed to a large number of people at once. Scammers typically gather email addresses through methods such as data breaches, fake websites, or similar tactics.

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

If more sensitive information, such as credit card details or identification data, was shared, the relevant organizations or authorities should be contacted as soon as possible.

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

Executable files (for example, .exe files) can compromise a system if they are opened. Document types like PDFs or Word files are generally less risky, since opening them alone does not usually lead to infection. The level of risk ultimately depends on the file format and how the user interacts with it.

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

Merely viewing or reading the message without clicking links or engaging with its content is typically safe.

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

Combo Cleaner is capable of detecting and removing a wide range of malware, though more advanced threats may sometimes evade detection and remain on the system. Performing a full system scan helps improve the likelihood of identifying and eliminating threats.