How to spot scams like "Access Re-Validation"

What is "Access Re-Validation" scam?

We have inspected the message and concluded that it is a phishing attempt. The email is presented as an internal security update notification. It contains a link to a fake website designed to extract personal information. Scammers use it to gain access to email and possibly other accounts.

More about the "Access Re-Validation" scam email

This scam email claims that the recipient's current login credentials are due to expire and implies that immediate action is required to avoid losing access. It urges the recipient to synchronize their account data in order to keep their password active, and suggests that failure to do so may result in account disruption.

Also, the scam email provides a fake session reference code to appear legitimate. Overall, the message is designed to pressure the recipient into clicking a link labeled "Sync Account Data". This link opens a fake Webmail login site designed to trick visitors into entering their usernames and passwords.

It is important to note that the deceptive page may mimic the appearance of Gmail, Yahoo Mail, or other email providers. If personal details (login credentials) are entered, scammers can steal them and use them to access email accounts. Those accounts can be exploited to gather information, send scam emails, distribute malicious files, and more.

Also, fraudsters may attempt to access social media, gaming, financial, or other platforms. In such cases, victims may encounter issues like monetary loss, identity theft, reputational damage, and other serious problems. Thus, suspicious emails should be examined before taking action.

Conclusion

Overall, this scam email is designed to appear urgent and trick recipients into acting quickly. Its main goal is to steal login credentials through a fake login page that mimics legitimate email services. Users be cautious and avoid interacting with suspicious links or requests for sensitive information. Sometimes, emails of this kind can lead to malware infiltration.

Some examples of similar scams are "Wells Fargo - Merchant Charges Refund", "Webmail Application Will Be Discontinued", and "PayPal - Access From A New Device".

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Malware is often delivered through MS Office documents, PDFs, compressed files (ZIP, RAR, or similar formats), scripts, or executable files attached to deceptive emails. When a user opens these attachments or enables functions like macros, malicious code can activate and begin infecting the system.

Attackers also use deceptive links in emails that redirect users to fake or compromised websites. These sites may either trigger an automatic download or persuade the user into downloading and running malware themselves.

How to avoid installation of malware?

It is recommended to regularly scan devices for threats using trusted antivirus or anti-malware software and to ensure that operating systems, browsers, and security tools are always up to date. Users should also obtain applications and files only from official sources such as verified websites or legitimate app stores. Pirated programs, cracks, or key generators should not be used.

Caution is also important when handling email attachments or clicking on links, particularly if messages are unexpected or irrelevant. In addition, users should avoid interacting with advertisements, pop-ups, and other suspicious content on untrustworthy websites.

Text presented in the "Access Re-Validation" email letter:

Subject: Internal Security Update: Credential Maintenance

Security Verified
Access Re-Validation

Your current credentials are due to expire. Synchronize now to keep your password.
Sync Account Data
Session Ref: 155940 | - IT

Fake website used in this phishing scam:

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Quick menu:

• What is Fake Access Re-Validation email 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?

Scammers typically distribute identical messages to a large number of recipients at once. They often obtain email addresses from data breaches or deceptive and untrustworthy websites.

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

If account credentials are compromised, they should be updated immediately. When personal or financial data is exposed, the relevant service providers should be notified, and appropriate authorities may also need to be contacted.

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

The likelihood of infection varies depending on the file type and how the user interacts with it. For instance, executing a malicious executable file can lead to immediate system compromise. Documents such as PDFs or Word files can infect systems after features like macros are enabled.

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

Simply opening an email does not infect a device. Malware is only activated when a user interacts with harmful attachments or clicks on malicious links.

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

Combo Cleaner can detect and remove most malware from a system. However, more advanced threats may hide deeper within the operating system and be harder to spot. For this reason, performing a full system scan is advised.