What kind of scam is "Purchase Order Sent To You Via WeTransfer"

What kind of email is "Purchase Order Sent To You Via WeTransfer"?

We have examined this email and determined that it is a phishing scam. The message impersonates WeTransfer, a legitimate file-sharing platform, and falsely claims that a purchase order has been sent to the recipient. Its purpose is to steal login credentials, and it should be ignored.

"Purchase Order Sent To You Via WeTransfer" email scam overview

The email poses as a notification from WeTransfer. It tells the recipient that a purchase order has been shared with them and urges them to click a "View document" button to review and approve it. Footer links such as "Manage email preferences" and "Unsubscribe" are included to make the message appear more authentic.

The website linked in this email is no longer active. Based on how this type of campaign typically operates, the page was likely designed to imitate the recipient's email service provider login page.

Such phishing pages often identify the email domain used by the target and display a matching login form. A recipient with a Gmail address would see a fake Google sign-in; one using Outlook would encounter a page mimicking Microsoft's login portal, and so on.

Any username and password entered on such a page goes directly to the scammers. With stolen credentials, attackers can access the victim's inbox, read private correspondence, reset passwords for linked services, and impersonate the victim when contacting their associates.

It is worth noting that WeTransfer has no involvement in this scam whatsoever. Cybercriminals simply use its name and branding to make fraudulent emails seem credible.

Email scams in general

In summary, this is a phishing scam disguised as a file-sharing notification from WeTransfer. It aims to direct recipients to a fake login page in order to steal their email credentials.

The email should be deleted without interacting with any links it contains. Sometimes, scams like this are also used to distribute malware.

More examples of similar scam emails are Wells Fargo - Account Security Update, Important Payroll Update, and 24-Hour Password Expiration Notice.

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Malware is often spread through email in the form of attachments or download links. Attached files can be executables, archives, PDF documents, Microsoft Office files, JavaScript files, and other formats. In some cases, simply opening the file is enough to trigger the infection.

Other files require the user to take an additional step, such as enabling malicious macro commands inside a document. Links in spam emails may also point to sites that download malware automatically or persuade users to run harmful programs themselves. Any unexpected attachment or link deserves suspicion, regardless of how legitimate the email appears.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Treat unexpected emails with caution, particularly those urging you to click a link or open a file. If a message claims to be from a known service, verify it by navigating to that service directly in your browser rather than following any link in the email.

Download software only from official websites and verified app stores. Avoid cracked programs, pirated content, and unofficial installers, as these are a common source of malware. Keep your operating system and applications updated to address known security vulnerabilities.

Use reputable antivirus software and keep it running at all times. If you have already opened a suspicious attachment, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate any infiltrated malware.

Text presented in the "Purchase Order Sent To You Via WeTransfer" email letter:

Subject: You have A new Purchase Order to review

WeTransfer

Hi ********,

A new Purchase Order has been sent to you via WeTransfer.

Click below to view the document and follow the instructions to review and approve it.
[View document]

This transfer was sent to ********.

Manage email preferences | Unsubscribe

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Quick menu:

• What is Purchase Order Sent To You Via WeTransfer 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?

Cybercriminals send these messages in bulk to large numbers of recipients. Email addresses are typically gathered through data breaches, fake websites, and similar methods. This email was not personally targeted at you.

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

If you entered your email credentials, change the password for that account right away and enable two-factor authentication where available. Update passwords for any other accounts that share the same login details.

If banking or identification details were also shared, contact the appropriate financial institutions or authorities without delay.

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

It depends on the file type. Executable files (.exe, .run) tend to start an infection the moment they are opened. Documents like Word files or PDFs carry lower risk on their own, but may still trigger malware if the user enables macros or runs an embedded component.

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

Reading an email without clicking links or opening attachments poses no risk to your computer. An infection requires active interaction with malicious content, and simply viewing the message does not qualify.

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

Combo Cleaner is capable of detecting and removing most known malware. That said, more sophisticated threats may sometimes evade detection. A full system scan is the best way to ensure all active threats are identified and eliminated.