How to identify scams like "Domain Renewal Reminder"

What kind of email is "Domain Renewal Reminder"?

After examining this email, we determined that it is a phishing scam. The message is disguised as an automated notification from a domain hosting service, falsely claiming that the recipient's domain registration has expired. Its goal is to trick users into entering their login credentials on a fake webmail page. This email should be ignored.

"Domain Renewal Reminder" email scam in detail

The email informs the recipient that their domain registration expired on a specific date. It warns of consequences such as website downtime, loss of email access, and the risk of the domain being permanently released or claimed by a third party. A "Secure My Domain" button is presented as the solution.

Clicking that button opens a fake cPanel Webmail login page. This page is hosted on Firebase Storage, a legitimate Google cloud service that scammers exploit to make the URL appear less suspicious to potential victims. In some cases, the recipient's email address may appear pre-filled in the form.

Any credentials typed into this page are sent directly to the scammers. With access to an email account, they can read private messages, reset passwords on linked services, and use the compromised account to send further phishing emails to the victim's contacts.

Stolen email credentials are frequently sold on criminal forums or used in credential-stuffing attacks against other platforms. The damage can extend well beyond losing access to a single inbox.

No legitimate domain registrar, hosting provider, or cPanel is associated with this scam in any way. Scammers exploit common concerns about domain expiry to pressure recipients into acting before they stop to think critically.

Similar scam emails in general

In conclusion, this is a phishing email disguised as an automated domain expiry alert. It aims to steal email credentials through a fake cPanel Webmail login page. Recipients should ignore the email and avoid clicking any links it contains to protect themselves from account hijacking and identity theft.

Sometimes, scams like this are used to deliver malware.

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

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Threat actors frequently deliver malware via email by attaching harmful files to messages. These can take many forms, including executables, archives, PDF documents, Microsoft Office files, and scripts. Opening them, or enabling embedded features such as malicious macro commands, can trigger a malware download or installation on the device.

Emails may also contain links pointing to attacker-controlled websites. Visiting these sites can result in automatic malware downloads or prompt users into running harmful files manually. In most cases, some form of user interaction is required for an infection to take hold.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Treat emails from unknown senders with caution, particularly those that create urgency around account expiry, payment issues, or security alerts. If a message was not expected, verify its legitimacy through a separate channel before opening any attachments or clicking links.

Download software exclusively from official websites and trusted app stores. Avoid pirated content, key generators, and software cracks, as these are common delivery vehicles for malware. Keep your operating system and all installed applications updated to patch known vulnerabilities.

Use reputable antivirus or anti-malware software and run scans regularly. Do not grant suspicious websites permission to send browser notifications. If you have already opened a malicious attachment, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate any infiltrated malware.

Text presented in the "Domain Renewal Reminder" email letter:

Subject: Domain Renewal Reminder

Domain Renewal Reminder

Dear Valued User

Your domain registration has expired today 29 May, 2026. To maintain uninterrupted access to your website, emails, and online services, we strongly recommend renewing your domain as soon as possible.

Possible consequences of expiration:
• Website and customer portal downtime
• Loss of email communication and webmail access
• Permanent domain release and third-party registration risk

Take action now to secure your domain and avoid service disruption.

[Secure My Domain]

This is an automated notification regarding your domain status.
Please do not reply directly to this email.

A fake cPanel Webmail login page used in this scam:

Instant automatic malware removal:

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Quick menu:

• What is Domain Renewal Reminder phishing campaign?
• 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?

Spam emails are sent to large groups of people rather than targeting specific individuals. Scammers collect addresses through data breaches, fake websites, and similar methods, then send the same message to everyone on their list.

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 every account where that password is used. If the compromised account is connected to sensitive services such as banking platforms, contact those providers directly as soon as possible.

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

It depends on the file type. Executable files can launch malicious programs the moment they are opened. Documents such as PDFs or Office files generally require an additional step, like enabling macros, before any harmful code can run.

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

Simply reading an email is safe. Infection requires interacting with its content, such as clicking a link or opening an attachment. If you did not take any such action, your computer is not at risk.

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

Yes, Combo Cleaner can detect and remove a wide range of known malware. That said, a full system scan is important, as more sophisticated threats can hide deep within the system and may not be caught by a quick check.