How to identify scams like "ICANN Client Error" fake message

What is "ICANN Client Error" scam?

We have reviewed the email and concluded that it is a phishing scam. It is disguised as a notification regarding a mail server error. The scammers behind it seek to trick unsuspecting recipients into clicking the provided link and entering personal information on the opened deceptive website. Recipients should ignore this message.

More about the "ICANN Client Error" scam email

This email claims that there is an ICANN-related domain verification error affecting the recipient's mail server. It states that incoming messages have been blocked for all users due to a compliance issue and urges the recipient to verify their domain email address and review data policies.

It warns that if no action is taken within 24 hours, queued emails may be permanently lost. The message also includes a link (labeled "Confirm Email") to confirm the email and mentions "technical errors" to appear legitimate. Clicking the provided link opens a fake email account login website designed to steal login credentials (email addresses and passwords).

Stolen email accounts can be used to harvest personal details, spread scams, send malicious files, or be misused in other ways. Moreover, scammers may try to access social media, financial, gaming, or other accounts using the stolen login details. If they succeed, they usually misuse those accounts to steal money or identities, make fraudulent purchases, or engage in other malicious activities.

Thus, it is important to know how to recognize scam emails and ignore them.

Similar scam emails in general

These scams are often disguised as urgent messages to trick recipients into acting quickly. They typically include a link that leads to a fraudulent login page designed to steal credentials. Once stolen, the information can be used to access other accounts, commit fraud, or steal money and personal data.

Sometimes, victims of such scams have their devices infected. Some examples of similar scams are "American Express Attempted Charge", "Account Update Notice", and "cPanel Account Expiration".

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Malware is often spread through email using infected attachments like documents, archives, scripts, or executable files. Once these files are opened, or if users enable certain features such as macros, malware can be executed and infect the device.

Threat actors may also use malicious links that lead to unreliable (or hijacked) websites. These sites can automatically download malware or trick users into downloading and running it themselves, leading to system compromise.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Applications should be downloaded only from official websites or verified app stores, and pirated software, cracks, and key generators should never be used. Caution is also important when browsing suspicious websites - users should not click on pop-ups, ads, buttons, or other interactive elements.

Email links and attachments should be handled carefully, especially if the message is unexpected or comes from an unknown sender. Keeping the operating system and installed programs up to date, along with regularly using reputable antivirus or anti-malware tools, is also important.

Text presented in the "ICANN Client Error" email letter:

Subject: [********]: Please confirm to continue.

ICANN Client Error for ********
******** Mail Server Error

Incoming messages has been blocked for all client users due to ICANN domain verification error.

Please verify your domain email address and review your existing data compliance policy

If action is not taken within the next 24 hours, queued messages may be permanently lost.
Confirm Email
For more information see DSN 5.7.129 Errors in Roundcube

This is an automated ICANN message for ********. If you believe you received this in error, please ignore it or contact your admin.

Copyright 2026 cPanel, L.L.C. ******** Organization. All rights reserved.

Fake page used in this scam:

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Quick menu:

• What is ICANN Client Error 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?

Scammers often send identical messages to large numbers of people at the same time. They obtain email addresses from leaked data, fake websites designed to trick users into revealing their information, or similar sources.

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

If login details are compromised, they should be changed immediately. If financial or ID data has been exposed, the relevant service providers and (or) authorities should be informed.

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

The risk of infection depends on the type of file and what the user does with it. Executable files can infect a system as soon as they are launched. Documents are usually only dangerous if specific features, like macros, are enabled.

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

Opening an email does not infect a system. A compromise typically occurs only if the user opens a malicious attachment or clicks on a harmful link.

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

Combo Cleaner is capable of detecting and removing many different types of threats. However, some advanced infections can hide deeply within the system and be harder to identify. Because of this, running a complete system scan is advised.