How to identify scams like "Social Security Administration (SSA) eStatement"

What is "Social Security Administration (SSA) eStatement" scam?

We have examined the message and determined that it is designed to deceive recipients into believing that they have to review their accounts as soon as possible. This scam email includes a link to a phishing website. Typically, scams like this are used to harvest personal information. This and similar scams should be ignored.

More about the "Social Security Administration (SSA) eStatement" scam email

This fraudulent email claims to be from the Social Security Administration and states that the recipient's electronic statement is now available due to a recent change in their profile. It urges the recipient to review an update by downloading an attached file and following instructions.

It implies that the document is ready for download through the provided link labeled "Download Statement". During our review, the website used in this scam was down. Nevertheless, scammers behind phishing emails like this use fake login websites designed to steal email addresses and passwords (or other login credentials).

If cybercriminals obtain these details, they may try to gain access to personal accounts. They typically target email, social media, banking, gaming, and similar services. Falling victim to these scams can cause financial losses, identity theft, reputational harm, and other serious problems. That is why it is important to spot phishing attempts and avoid them.

Similar scam emails in general

Similar scams often use fake login pages to steal personal credentials and compromise accounts. Recognizing these deceptive messages and avoiding any interaction with them is essential to prevent financial loss, identity theft, and other serious consequences. Sometimes, falling for them can lead to system infections.

Similar scams are "Cloud Storage Plan Has Been Paused", "Content Or Actions Conflict With Our Security Policy", and "Document Status Update".

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Malware can be distributed via email through malicious attachments. These files may come in formats such as ZIP or RAR archives, PDF or Office documents, scripts, executables, and more. A system can become infected when the attachment is opened or when specific actions are taken within it.

Emails can also include links that direct recipients to unsafe or fraudulent websites. Such pages may trigger automatic malware downloads or deceive users into downloading and executing harmful files on their own.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Keep your operating system and all installed applications up to date. Be cautious with emails - avoid opening attachments or clicking links unless they come from a trusted sender, especially if the message seems unexpected or unrelated. It is also important to use reliable security software and perform regular system scans.

Only download programs from official sources or trusted app stores, and stay away from cracked or pirated software. Refrain from interacting with suspicious pop-ups or links, particularly on shady websites.

Text presented in the "Social Security Administration (SSA) eStatement" email letter:

Subject:

SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION
Your SSA eStatement is Now Available

Dear User,

There as be a recent change on your profile and we would like you to have it reviewed as soon as possible.

Please download the attachment and follow the provided instructions.

NOTE: Statements & Documents are only compatible with PC/Windows systems.

Y0UR D0CUMENT lS N0W READY F0R D0WNL0AD:
Download Statement

THANK Y0U F0R CH00SlNG T0 RECElVE Y0UR eSTATEMENTS ELECTR0NlCALLY.
This is an automated message. Please do not reply to this email.

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Quick menu:

• What is Social Security Administration (SSA) eStatement fake 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?

Cybercriminals send the same message to many people at once. They usually gather email addresses from data breaches, fake websites, or other sources.

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

If passwords have been compromised, they should be changed. If financial or other personal information is affected, users should notify the relevant services and, if necessary, report the incident to the appropriate authorities.

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

Running a malicious executable can instantly infect a system. Other files, such as PDFs or Word documents, may lead to infection if the user takes certain actions within them. The level of risk varies depending on the file type and how it is handled.

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

A suspicious email alone is not harmful. Malware can infiltrate only when links are clicked or attachments are opened.

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

Combo Cleaner is capable of detecting and removing a wide range of known threats. However, some advanced infections can conceal themselves within the system, making them more difficult to detect. For this reason, performing a complete system scan is recommended.