What sort of email scam is "Routine Update Of User Database"

What is "Routine Update Of User Database" scam?

We have examined this email and determined it is a phishing scam. The message is disguised as an official notice from a webmail admin service, claiming the recipient's account must be updated to comply with new Terms of Service. Recipients should disregard it entirely to avoid having their email credentials stolen.

"Routine Update Of User Database" email scam overview

The email presents itself as a notice from a webmail admin service informing the recipient that their account has not been updated to reflect new Terms of Service. It warns that failure to act will disrupt account access. To complete the update, it instructs the recipient to click a link and log in.

That link leads to 7w2n9zpx5k.websecure365i0mqflow0o[.]com, a phishing page designed to resemble a genuine Roundcube Webmail login portal. The page presents a username and password form. Any credentials entered there are sent directly to the attackers.

Stolen email credentials give attackers full access to the victim's inbox. They can use the compromised account to send spam, harvest personal data from stored messages, and attempt to reset passwords on banking or social media accounts.

Email accounts are often used as the recovery method for other online services. Losing access to one can trigger a chain effect, enabling attackers to hijack banking, shopping, and other accounts tied to the same address.

Roundcube and legitimate webmail providers are in no way associated with this scam. Criminals use the recognizable look of trusted services to make their fake login pages more believable.

Similar scam emails in general

In conclusion, "Routine Update Of User Database" is a phishing scam disguised as an official webmail service notice. Its goal is to steal email account credentials by directing victims to a fake Roundcube Webmail login page. Recipients should ignore this email to protect themselves from account hijacking and identity theft. In some cases, scam emails of this kind are also used to distribute malware.

More examples of scam emails that use phishing pages to steal account credentials are Update Related To Account Verification, Revised Invoice, and Account Maintenance Notification.

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Threat actors commonly attach malicious files to emails in order to spread malware. Such files can include executable programs, compressed archives, PDF documents, Microsoft Office files, or scripts. Opening them - or for documents, enabling malicious macro commands - triggers the malware installation process.

Emails may also carry links to malicious websites. Visiting such a site can result in an automatic malware download, or the visitor may be tricked into manually downloading and running a harmful file. In either case, some form of user interaction with the content is typically required for the infection to take place.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Treat unexpected emails with caution, especially those that urge immediate action. Avoid clicking links or opening attachments from unfamiliar senders. Even when an email appears to come from a known service, verify through official channels before taking any steps.

Only download software from official websites or verified app stores. Steer clear of pirated content, key generators, and software cracks, as these are a common source of malware. Keeping the operating system and all installed applications up to date helps close security vulnerabilities that attackers exploit.

Use a reputable antivirus or anti-malware program and keep it updated. Do not grant notification permissions to unfamiliar websites. If you have already opened a suspicious attachment, run a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to detect and remove any malware that may be present.

Text presented in the "Routine Update Of User Database" email letter:

Subject: [********]:Action Required: Re-Confirm

Dear ********,

To ensure the security of our community and comply with our latest security standards, we are currently performing a routine update of our user database.

Our records show that your account has not yet been updated to reflect our new Terms of Service. To ensure you continue receiving important notifications and maintain uninterrupted access to your account, please review and accept these changes.

How to update your account:

1. Log in to your account: [CLICK HERE TO UPDATE]
2. Navigate to your Account Settings.
3. Follow the prompts to review the updated terms.

Note: For your security, we recommend always navigating directly to our official website rather than clicking links in emails.

We value having you as a member of our community and are committed to keeping your data secure.

Best regards,
The Webmail Admin Service Team

Privacy | Support | Unsubscribe

A fake Roundcube Webmail login page used in this scam:

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Quick menu:

• What is Routine Update Of User Database 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?

Spam emails are sent out in bulk operations, not directed at specific individuals. Scammers collect email addresses through data breaches, compromised websites, fake sign-up forms, and similar methods. Receiving one does not mean you were deliberately targeted.

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

Change the password for your email account straight away. If the same password was used on other sites, update those as well. If financial details or identification documents 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 typically cause an infection the moment they are opened. Documents and archives generally require additional interaction - such as enabling macros or running an installer included in the file - before malware activates. The risk depends on the file type and what was done with it.

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

No. Simply reading an email does not compromise your system. Infections require actively engaging with malicious content, such as opening an attachment or following a harmful link.

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

Yes. Combo Cleaner can detect and remove the vast majority of known malware. Running a full system scan is recommended to ensure that any threats hidden deeper in the system are also identified and eliminated.