How to identify scams like "Cloud Storage Plan Has Been Paused"

What is "Cloud Storage Plan Has Been Paused" scam?

Our team has reviewed the email and found that it is disguised as a notification regarding the recipient's cloud storage plan. It urges the recipient to solve the "issue" through the provided link as soon as possible. The included link leads to deceptive websites. This scam email should be ignored and deleted if received.

More about the "Cloud Storage Plan Has Been Paused" scam email

This email is presented as a notification from a cloud storage provider offering a 100GB free trial for 30 days. It states that the recipient's 250GB storage plan has been paused due to a failed payment and urges immediate renewal to restore access to services such as backups, photo syncing, and premium storage space.

It also warns that failing to update billing information could result in permanent deletion of older files and photos. The message also includes a button labeled "Secure My Data Now". This button (link) is designed to direct recipients to various unreliable websites that show misleading messages.

Those fraudulent messages claim that the user's cloud storage subscription has expired or was not renewed. They also state that payment methods have expired or that billing problems have prevented renewal. They pressure the user into renewing the subscription to avoid permanent loss of data.

Overall, they are crafted to trick users into believing that access to files will be lost if they do not update their payment details. The pages promoted through this scam typically redirect to websites that contain affiliate identifiers in their URLs. When a user clicks the link and completes an action such as signing up or making a purchase, scammers earn commissions.

Fraudsters behind this scam often promote well-known security products such as McAfee or XSHIELD. It is important to mention that legitimate companies do use scare tactics or fake warning pages to promote their services (or products).

Conclusion

In conclusion, this is a scam designed trick recipients into thinking that their cloud storage subscription has expired and that files may be lost unless payment details are updated. Its goal is to pressure users into clicking malicious that generate profit for scammers through affiliate marketing.

It is worth noting that sometimes scams of this kind can lead to malware infiltration. Here are more examples of similar scams: "Cloud Account Scheduled For Deletion", "Update/Upgrade On The Messaging Network", and "Email Account Disable Request".

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Malware is delivered through email by sending malicious files (attachments). These attachments may be executable files, archive files such as ZIP or RAR, documents like PDFs or Microsoft Office files, or scripts. Systems can become infected upon opening those files or after taking additional actions.

Deceptive emails can also include links that direct users to untrustworthy websites. On these sites, malware can be downloaded automatically, or users may be manipulated into downloading and launching it themselves.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Software should be downloaded only from trusted sources, such as official websites or app stores. Pirated programs, cracks, and key generators should never be used. It is also important to be careful with unsolicited emails or messages, especially those sent by unknown senders. Attachments and links should not be opened unless recipients are sure they are safe.

Additionally, users should avoid interacting with suspicious ads, pop-ups, and links on untrusted websites, and should never allow notification requests from questionable pages. Keeping the operating system and all installed applications up to date is also essential.

Text presented in the "Cloud Storage Plan Has Been Paused" email letter:

Subject: 100GB free for 30 days – the only storage email you'll ever need

Cloud Services

Action Required

Your 250 GB Storage Plan has been paused due to an unsuccessful payment. Renew now to instantly reactivate your benefits.
Secure all your device backups
Resume syncing your new photos
Keep your 250 GB of premium space
Secure My Data Now
Important: If your billing information is not updated soon, your older files and photos may be scheduled for permanent deletion to free up server space.

Sent by Cloud Services Inc.
4269 Cloud Way, Server City, CA.

Websites used in this scam:

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Quick menu:

• What is Cloud Storage Plan Has Been Paused 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?

Most scammers send the same message to many people at once. They typically collect email addresses from fake websites, leaked databases, or other sources.

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

If passwords have been leaked or compromised, they should be changed immediately. When sensitive or financial information is affected, relevant service providers and, if necessary, the proper authorities should be notified.

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

Running a harmful executable file can allow malware to infect the system right away. Other formats, such as PDFs or Microsoft Word documents, may also result in infection if the user takes further actions. The chance of infection depends on the type of file and the way it is handled by the user.

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

Opening a deceptive email does not cause harm. Most infections happen only after the user opens malicious links or infected attachments.

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

Combo Cleaner is capable of detecting and removing most threats. However, certain advanced infections may be more difficult to detect or can stay hidden within the system. For this reason, a full system scan is recommended.