How to recognize scams like "cPanel Account Expiration"

What is "cPanel Account Expiration" scam?

We have analyzed the message and found that it is designed to steal personal information. Emails of this type are classified as phishing attempts. This particular scam email is designed to look like a message from an email service provider. It provides a link to a fake website to trick recipients into sharing sensitive details.

More about the "cPanel Account Expiration" scam email

This phishing email claims that the recipient's Webmail account will expire soon due to a supposed security policy. It warns that failure to update the account to a new version immediately could result in being locked out and potentially losing all stored files. The message urges the recipient to update their account through a provided option ("UPDATE ACCOUNT" button).

Clicking that button opens a deceptive website masquerading as the recipient's email provider (e.g., Gmail, Yahoo Mail, or other platform). This site is used to pilfer login credentials (email addresses and passwords) for email accounts. Stolen accounts can be misused to send scam emails, distribute malware, harvest information from emails, and more.

Also, cybercriminals might try to hijack social media, financial, or other accounts using the stolen login credentials. Accessed accounts may be misused to steal money or identities, make fraudulent purchases, or for other purposes. Thus, falling for scams like this can result in issues ranging from financial loss to reputational damage.

If this or a similar email is received, it should be ignored and deleted.

Conclusion

This phishing scam uses deception to lure recipients into disclosing sensitive information. It mimics a legitimate service to appear trustworthy and directs users to a fraudulent website. Falling for such messages can lead to serious consequences, so they should be ignored and deleted without any interaction.

It is important to note that emails of this kind can sometimes be used to distribute malware. Here are more examples of similar scams: "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 frequently spread through email attachments disguised as legitimate files, including executables, Office documents, PDFs, archives, ISO files, and scripts. Infection can occur when recipients open these files, enable macros, or interact with them in ways that allow malware to run.

Also, threat actors include misleading links in emails that lead to fraudulent or compromised websites. These pages may automatically initiate downloads or deceive users into manually downloading and executing harmful software.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Exercise caution when dealing with links and attachments in emails, particularly if the message is unexpected or sent from an unknown source. Keep your operating system, browser, and installed programs up to date.

Install reliable antivirus or anti-malware software and run full system scans regularly. Only download software from official websites or trusted app stores, and avoid pirated or unofficial versions (as well as cracking tools and key generators). When visiting unfamiliar or suspicious websites, refrain from interacting with pop-ups, ads, buttons, or links.

Text presented in the "cPanel Account Expiration" email letter:

Subject: To continue using Webmail please update Webmail.

Webmail

Hello ********

We wanted to inform you that the current edition of your cpanel account will expired soon according to our ѕесսrіtу policy.

To continue accessing your account ѕесսrеⅼу, Kindly update your account to the new version immediately to avoid been locked out and probably lose all your files.
UPDATE ACCOUNT

This message was sent to ******** and intended to keep your account secure.

cPanel, L.L.C, 2550 North Loop West, Suite 4006, Houston, TX 77092, USA.

Fake page used in this scam:

Instant automatic malware removal:

Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced IT skills. Combo Cleaner is a professional automatic malware removal tool that is recommended to get rid of malware. Download it by clicking the button below:

By downloading any software listed on this website you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. 7 days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by RCS LT, the parent company of PCRisk.com.

Quick menu:

• What is cPanel Account Expiration 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?

Fraudsters commonly send the same email to many recipients simultaneously, using email lists obtained from data leaks or collected through compromised and untrustworthy websites.

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

If login credentials are exposed, they should be changed immediately. In cases where personal or financial information has been compromised, the appropriate service providers and authorities should be informed.

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

The likelihood of infection depends on both the type of file and how it is handled. Malicious executables can cause immediate harm when launched, whereas documents typically become dangerous only if macros or similar functions 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. A threat only becomes active when the recipient opens a malicious attachment or clicks on a malicious link.

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

Combo Cleaner can identify and eliminate a wide range of malware infections. However, more sophisticated threats may hide deep within the system, making them harder to detect. For this reason, performing a full system scan is strongly recommended.