How to identify scams like "Pending Configuration Verification"

What is "Pending Configuration Verification" scam?

Our inspection of the email indicates it was written by scammers seeking to steal personal information. Scams of this type are classified as phishing attempts. This message includes a link to a fake website designed to trick visitors into entering personal details. It should be ignored to avoid potential risks.

More about the "Pending Configuration Verification" scam email

This email claims that a routine review of the recipient's email service settings has been performed and that their account is now pending verification. It states that this step is necessary to maintain uninterrupted email service and ensure system security. The message instructs the recipient to review and confirm their configuration details through a provided link.

This link (labeled "Review Configuration") opens a fake email account login page. This website can change how it looks depending on the recipient's email address. For instance, it can imitate a Gmail or Yahoo Mail login page. Its goal is to deceive users into providing their email login credentials.

The stolen information can be used to take control of email accounts and then gather sensitive data from messages, send scam emails, spread malware, or carry out other harmful activities. In addition, attackers may attempt to access other accounts, such as gaming, banking, or social media, using the same credentials.

As a result, victims can encounter issues such as financial loss, identity theft, or damage to their reputation. For this reason, it is important to carefully check suspicious emails before clicking links or sharing any personal information.

Similar scam emails in general

Emails of this type are designed to appear legitimate. The main goal is to steal credentials, which can then be used to access accounts and carry out various malicious activities. It is important to stay cautious and avoid clicking links or entering information unless the message has been verified as legitimate.

It is also important to note that scam emails can be used to distribute malware. Some examples of other similar scams are "Storage Limit Reached", "Unusual Login Attempts And Password Attacks", and "Brief Service Interruption".

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Email is a common method for distributing malware through malicious attachments and deceptive links. These attachments contain hidden malware that executes when the file is opened or when additional actions are taken. Usually, cybercriminals use malicious documents, executables, archives, scripts, or other files to deliver malware.

When links are used to spread infections, they lead to websites that attempt to trick users into downloading malware. Sometimes, pages can be designed to automatically start malicious downloads.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Download software from official or trusted sources, and avoid using pirated programs, cracks, or key generators. Keep your operating system and applications up to date at all times. Be cautious of suspicious ads, links, and content on untrusted websites, and do not permit those sites to send notifications.

Exercise care with emails or messages from unknown senders, especially if they contain links or attachments, and only open them when you are confident they are safe.

Text presented in the "Pending Configuration Verification" email letter:

Subject: Action Needed: Verify Your Email Service Settings

********

Status: Pending Configuration Verification

********

We have recently performed a routine review of your email configuration settings associated with ********.
Your account is currently marked as pending verification to ensure uninterrupted email service and system security.
Please review and confirm your configuration details at your earliest convenience:
Review Configuration
This automated message was sent as part of our system maintenance.

Best regards,
Support Team
********

Fake website used in this scam:

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Quick menu:

• What is Pending Configuration Verification phishing attempt?
• 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 emails are commonly sent to many recipients at once. Scammers collect email addresses through sources such as data breaches, fake pages, and other similar techniques.

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

If sensitive information such as credit card or identification details was shared, the appropriate organizations or authorities should be contacted immediately. If login credentials were exposed, passwords for any affected accounts should be changed.

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

Executable files, such as .exe files, can cause an immediate infection when run. Files like PDFs or Word documents are safer, since opening them alone does not normally lead to infection. The level of risk 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?

Simply viewing an email without clicking on any links or interacting with its content is usually safe.

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

Combo Cleaner is capable of detecting and removing most known malware, although some advanced threats may be hidden. Performing a full system scan improves the likelihood of identifying and eliminating any hidden threats.