How to avoid falling for the "Email Validation Error" email scam

What kind of email is "Email Validation Error"?

We have inspected this email and determined it is a phishing scam. The message is disguised as an automated notification from an email hosting service, claiming that incoming messages were blocked due to a validation error. It is designed to steal email account credentials and should be ignored.

"Email Validation Error" email scam in detail

This scam email poses as an automated alert from a cPanel-based mail system, claiming that several incoming messages were blocked due to an email validation error. To appear credible, it lists fake quarantined emails in a table with realistic-looking shipping and logistics subjects - invoice notices, bills of lading, and freight inquiries.

The email instructs the recipient to click a "RE-VALIDATE" button to recover the blocked messages. This button leads to a fake Roundcube Webmail login page hosted on IPFS infrastructure. The page comes pre-filled with the victim's email address, making it appear legitimate.

Anyone who types their password into this page hands it directly to the scammers. With access to an email account, attackers can hijack linked accounts, read private correspondence, and use the address to send further phishing emails to the victim's contacts.

The shipping and freight subject lines in the fake quarantine table are a deliberate choice. Business users in logistics who routinely receive such emails are more likely to believe the threat is real, making them more likely to click.

Roundcube Webmail and cPanel are legitimate, widely-used products. Their developers are not responsible for or connected to this scam in any way.

Similar scam emails in general

In conclusion, this email is a phishing scam disguised as an email system alert. It aims to steal login credentials through a fake Roundcube Webmail page. Recipients should ignore it and avoid entering any details on the linked site. Sometimes, scams like this are used to deliver malware.

More examples of similar scam emails are Quotation And Technical Details, Dropbox Service Usage Reminder, and Mailbox Service Upgrade.

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Spam campaigns often distribute malware by attaching malicious files directly to emails or including links to harmful websites. These files can appear in many formats - executables, Office documents, PDFs, archives, or scripts. Opening them, or enabling features like malicious macro commands, can trigger malware installation.

Links in spam emails may lead to websites that automatically download malware or prompt the user to run a harmful program. In most cases, some level of interaction is required - opening a file, clicking through a prompt, or running an embedded installer.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Treat unsolicited emails with caution, especially those that claim urgent action is needed regarding your account or messages. Before clicking any link, verify the situation directly with the service provider through their official website or support line.

Only download software from official, verified sources. Avoid pirated programs, cracks, and key generators, which are common sources of malware. Keep your operating system and applications updated to close known security gaps.

If you have already opened a malicious attachment, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate any installed malware.

Text presented in the "Email Validation Error" email letter:

Subject: IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED - ********

Incoming Failed Messages

The following Messages were blocked due to email validation error.

Affected Mailbox: ********

Click on the button below to retrieve these Message(s) back into your Mailbox.

Quarantined emails
Status - Recipient - Subject - Date
Pending - ******** - INVOICE // ARRIVAL NOTICE : SINAR BAJO-119S-I237104800 - 05/28/2026 2:59:39 PM
Pending - ******** - FINAL B/L : BL-I42010766114_ATH1 - 05/28/2026 2:59:39 PM
Pending - ******** - URGENT ENQUIRY: EX BELAWAN TO KAOHSIUNG (TIB) - 05/28/2026 2:59:39 PM
Pending - ******** - FOB Shanghai-FOT Ashgabat/1x40 HC schedule - 05/28/2026 2:59:39 PM
Pending - ******** - RE: Shipment BL YMJAI226515043 - 05/28/2026 2:59:39 PM

[RE-VALIDATE]

A fake Roundcube Webmail login page used in this scam:

Instant automatic malware removal:

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Quick menu:

• What is Email Validation Error 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?

Scam emails are not targeted at specific individuals. Cybercriminals send them in bulk using email addresses collected from data breaches, compromised websites, and similar sources. The same message typically reaches thousands of people at once.

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

If you entered your email password on the linked page, change it immediately on all accounts where you use the same credentials. Also check your email account for unauthorized changes, such as new forwarding rules or unfamiliar connected applications.

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

Executables can compromise a device the moment they are opened. Documents such as PDFs or Office files generally pose less immediate risk but may still trigger malware if the user is prompted to enable macros or run an embedded installer.

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

Simply reading an email without clicking any links or opening attachments poses no risk to your device. Infection can only occur through direct interaction with malicious content.

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

Combo Cleaner is able to detect and remove a wide range of malware. Running a full system scan is the most reliable way to ensure that threats present on the device are identified and eliminated.