How to avoid falling for the "cPanel Mailbox Removal" email scam

What kind of email is "cPanel Mailbox Removal"?

We have examined this email and determined it is a phishing scam. It impersonates cPanel Webmail with a false claim that the recipient's mailbox is pending deletion. The scammers behind it seek to steal email login credentials, and the message should be ignored to avoid account compromise.

"cPanel Mailbox Removal" email scam overview

The email poses as an automated cPanel Webmail alert, warning that the recipient's mailbox has been approved for removal due to an ignored verification warning. A 48-hour countdown is included to create urgency and pressure the recipient into acting without thinking.

Two buttons are shown in the email: "CONTINUE REMOVAL" and "CANCEL REMOVAL". Both are likely malicious. The "CANCEL REMOVAL" option is designed to appear as the safe choice, but clicking it leads to a phishing page.

Although the website linked from this email is no longer active, it was built to mimic either a cPanel login page or the recipient's email provider's sign-in page. The site likely detected the email domain and displayed a matching fake login form to seem more convincing.

Any credentials entered on that page go straight to the scammers. With access to an email account, they can read private messages, reset passwords on linked services, and send further fraudulent messages to the victim's contacts.

It is worth noting that cPanel, L.L.C. is a legitimate web hosting software company. It has no association with this scam - the scammers have used its name and branding without any authorization.

Similar scam emails in general

In conclusion, this email is a phishing scam that falsely warns the recipient their mailbox is about to be deleted. Its purpose is to steal email login credentials through a fake sign-in page. Recipients should delete the message without clicking its links or buttons. Emails like this are sometimes also used to spread malware.

More examples of similar scam emails are LinkedIn Collaboration, Your Corporate Password Has Expired, and Your Mailbox Hit A Snag - Quick Update Needed.

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Spam emails often carry malware in the form of file attachments. Common formats include executable programs, compressed archives, PDF documents, Office files, and scripts. Opening these files - or enabling malicious macro commands inside Office documents - can trigger malware installation on the device.

Emails may also contain links to websites that download malware silently or trick users into running harmful programs themselves. In both cases, some form of user interaction is typically needed before a system is compromised.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Be cautious with unsolicited emails, especially those that demand immediate action. Do not click links or open attachments from unknown senders. If an email claims to be from a legitimate service, visit that service's official website directly rather than following any links in the message.

Only download software from official sources and authorized app stores. Avoid pirated programs, key generators, and cracks - these are a well-known malware distribution channel.

Keep your operating system and installed applications updated, and use a reputable antivirus tool. If you have already opened a suspicious file, we recommend scanning with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to detect and remove any installed threats.

Text presented in the "cPanel Mailbox Removal" email letter:

Subject: [redacted]: Please confirm to continue.

cPanel Webmail

Server Warning
Pending Mailbox Removal
Deletion Report for "[redacted]".

Dear esteemed User

[redacted] removal from [redacted] server has been approved and initiated,

Due to ignorance of the last verification warning. Removal will occur in exactly 48 hours from now (01:16:24 AM)
We recommend that you do any of the below and protect your mailbox

[CONTINUE REMOVAL] [CANCEL REMOVAL]

The system generated this notice on 21 May, 2026.

Do not reply to this automated message.
cP

Copyright © 2026 cPanel, L.L.C.

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Quick menu:

• What is cPanel Mailbox Removal phishing scam?
• 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?

These messages are not targeted. Scammers distribute them in bulk, gathering email addresses from data breaches, fake sign-up pages, and similar sources. Any person with a valid address can receive one.

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

Change any passwords that could have been exposed, starting with the affected email account and any other services sharing the same credentials. If banking or identification details were shared, contact the relevant institutions or authorities as soon as possible.

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

Executable files can launch malware the moment they are opened. Documents such as PDFs or Office files are generally less immediately dangerous, but they may still carry risk if they prompt the user to enable macros or run an additional installer.

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

Simply reading an email is harmless on its own. A system is only put at risk when the user clicks a link, opens an attachment, or otherwise interacts with malicious content within the message.

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

Combo Cleaner is capable of detecting and removing most known malware. Running a full system scan is recommended, since more sophisticated threats can sometimes evade quick scans and remain active on the system.