What is the "Roundcube Domain Registration Email Verification" scam

What kind of email is "Roundcube Domain Registration Email Verification Scam"?

We have examined this email and determined it is a phishing scam. The message poses as an official notice from Roundcube and ICANN, falsely claiming that the recipient must verify their email address to stay compliant with domain registration requirements. It is designed to steal webmail login credentials and should be ignored.

"Roundcube Domain Registration Email Verification Scam" email overview

The email claims to be sent by a domain registrar working in cooperation with ICANN, stating that as part of a "regular domain compliance process," the recipient's email address must be verified. It warns that failing to act within three days may cause service interruptions - an urgency tactic meant to push recipients into clicking without pausing to question the message.

Clicking the "Verify Email Address" button leads to a fake Roundcube Webmail login page. The page displays the Roundcube logo and prompts the visitor to enter their full email address and password. Any credentials typed into this form are collected by the scammers running the campaign.

Compromised webmail credentials give attackers full access to the victim's inbox. From there, they can read private messages, reset passwords on accounts linked to that email, impersonate the victim, or use the hijacked address to send further scam emails to the victim's contacts.

It is important to clarify that Roundcube is a legitimate open-source webmail client - it is not a domain registrar and has no connection to this scam. Similarly, ICANN is a real organization responsible for coordinating domain names globally; it does not send verification emails through third-party registrars in this way.

Email scams in general

In conclusion, this is a phishing scam that impersonates Roundcube and ICANN to steal webmail credentials through a fake login page. Anyone who receives it should delete the message without clicking any links.

Similar scams sometimes skip the login page entirely and instead deliver malware through malicious files attached to the email or links that trigger automatic downloads. Recipients should treat any unexpected message demanding urgent account action with suspicion.

More examples of similar scam emails are SSL Certificate Expiration, HSBC Money Transfer Completed, and Private Financial Transaction.

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Cybercriminals often rely on email to distribute malware, either by attaching malicious files directly or by embedding links that lead to harmful downloads. The files used can take many forms - executable programs, compressed archives, PDF documents, Office files, JavaScript, and others.

In many cases, infection only triggers when the recipient interacts with the file - for example, by opening an executable or enabling malicious macro commands in a document. Simply receiving the email does not place the system at risk.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Treat any unsolicited email with caution, especially one that urges immediate action or arrives with attachments and links from an unfamiliar sender. If a message claims to be from a service you use, verify the request by going directly to the provider's official website rather than clicking anything in the email.

Download software only from official sources and avoid pirated programs, key generators, and cracks, as these are frequently used to distribute malware. Keep your operating system and installed applications updated to reduce exposure to known vulnerabilities.

Use a reputable antivirus or anti-malware solution and keep it current. If you have already opened a suspicious file, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate any infiltrated malware.

Text presented in the "Roundcube Domain Registration Email Verification Scam" email letter:

Subject: [********]: [Notice] ICANN Validation for ******** – Verify Now.

Email Address Verification

Hello Audris,

As part of our regular domain compliance process, Roundcube is verifying email addresses associated with domain registrations. This ensures your account remains active and compliant with ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) regulations.

Why is this necessary?
ICANN mandates that all domain registrations maintain a valid, functional email address. Failure to verify your address may result in service interruptions.

Action Required:
Please confirm your email address '********' by clicking below within [3] days:

[Verify Email Address]

If you no longer use this email or encounter issues, contact our support team for assistance.

Thank you for ensuring your account remains compliant.

Best regards,
******** Registrar | ICANN

A fake Roundcube Webmail login page used in this scam:

Instant automatic malware removal:

Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced IT skills. Combo Cleaner is a professional automatic malware removal tool that is recommended to get rid of malware. Download it by clicking the button below:

By downloading any software listed on this website you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. 7 days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by RCS LT, the parent company of PCRisk.com.

Quick menu:

• What is Roundcube Domain Registration Email Verification 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 sent in bulk to large numbers of people at once. Scammers collect email addresses through methods such as data breaches, credential leaks, and harvesting from compromised or fake websites. The email is not personally targeted at you.

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

Change the password for the affected email account immediately. Also update passwords for any other accounts that share the same credentials or that are linked to that email address.

If you believe your account has already been accessed, contact the email service's official support team 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 compromise a system as soon as they are opened. Document types such as PDFs or Word files carry lower risk on their own, but may still pose a threat if they prompt you to enable macros or run additional content.

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

Reading or opening an email is harmless on its own. Infection requires the user to actively interact with malicious content - such as clicking a link, opening an attachment, or enabling an embedded script. Your computer is safe if you did not take any of those steps.

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

Yes. Combo Cleaner is capable of detecting and removing a wide range of malware threats. Running a full system scan gives the best chance of identifying and eliminating anything that may have been installed through a malicious email attachment.