What is "Adobe - Outstanding Invoices" malspam

What is the "Adobe - Outstanding Invoices Email Virus"?

We have reviewed this email and determined that it is malspam. The message impersonates Adobe, falsely claiming the recipient has two outstanding invoices requiring immediate review. Clicking the link inside leads to a fraudulent download page that pushes a malicious batch file onto the victim's computer. The email should be deleted without clicking anything in it.

"Adobe - Outstanding Invoices Email Virus" in detail

This spam email presents itself as an official notice from Adobe. It claims the recipient has two outstanding open invoices, lists them in a table with invoice numbers and a file size, and urges action via a "View Invoice" button. Adobe has no connection to this email - it is a scam operated by cybercriminals.

Clicking "View Invoice" does not open any real document. The victim is instead redirected to a fake webpage styled to resemble an official Adobe site. The page displays a warning claiming the user's Adobe Reader is outdated and states that an updated version is downloading automatically.

The file that arrives is named Adobe_Acrobat_Reader_pro.bat. This is not a genuine Adobe product. It is a malicious batch file disguised as a software update installer. The fake page further instructs the visitor to locate the file in their Downloads folder and run it, which activates the infection.

The exact malware delivered by this file is currently unknown. Batch scripts of this kind are used to deploy many types of threats - trojans, keyloggers, spyware, ransomware, or loaders that silently pull down additional malware.

Running the file puts the victim's passwords, banking information, and personal data at serious risk. Recipients should discard this email immediately and avoid clicking any link it contains.

Spam campaign examples

In conclusion, this email uses Adobe's name and branding to lure recipients into downloading and running a harmful batch file. The "View Invoice" link leads not to any real document but to a fake software update page. Opening the distributed file can result in data theft, system compromise, or other serious consequences.

Bank Of America Account Update, FedEx Shipment Tracking Number Requires Information, and DHL Express - Shipment Arrived are just a few examples of malspam we have analyzed. Cybercriminals use spam campaigns to distribute many different types of malware.

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Spam emails deliver malware either through file attachments or through links. Attachments may appear as ordinary documents, archives, scripts, or executables, and opening them - sometimes combined with enabling additional features - can trigger the infection. Links work by sending the recipient to a malicious or compromised website.

Those sites may push a download automatically or, as in this campaign, instruct the user to run a file manually. The file type determines how much interaction is needed. A plain executable or script runs as soon as the user opens it, with no extra steps required.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Treat unexpected invoice and payment emails with caution, especially when they come from senders you do not recognize. Do not click links or open attachments in such messages - even when they appear to come from well-known companies like Adobe.

Keep your operating system and all installed software up to date. Download programs only from official developer websites or verified app stores. Pirated software, activation tools, and key generators are frequently bundled with hidden malware.

Using a reputable antivirus solution and running regular system scans will also help. If you have already run the downloaded file, we recommend scanning with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows right away to detect and remove any threats that may have been installed.

Text presented in the "Adobe - Outstanding Invoices Email Virus" email letter:

Subject: Outstanding Payment Request

Adobe

You have 2 outstanding open invoices
Invoice No. Subject Size
INV#230590185080 & 2305185080 Outstanding Payment Request 3.1mb

Kindly Review and Take Action
[View Invoice]

Screenshot of the malicious website promoted by this spam campaign:

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:

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Quick menu:

• What is Adobe - Outstanding Invoices malspam?
• 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 identical messages to large numbers of people at once. These emails are not targeted or personalized - recipients are typically selected from address lists obtained through data breaches, leaked databases, or other illicit sources.

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

Change the passwords for any accounts whose credentials may have been entered or exposed. If banking or payment details were shared, contact your financial institution as soon as possible. Reporting the incident to the relevant authorities is also advisable.

I have downloaded and opened a file promoted by a spam email, is my computer infected?

Batch files execute commands as soon as they are run, so opening the downloaded file very likely triggered an infection. Running a full system scan with a trusted antivirus program is strongly recommended to assess and address any damage.

I have read the email but did not click any links, is my computer infected?

No. Simply reading the email cannot cause an infection. Malware is only delivered when the user actively clicks a malicious link and then runs the file that downloads - neither step alone is sufficient without the other.

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

Yes, Combo Cleaner is capable of detecting and eliminating most known malware. That said, some advanced threats conceal themselves deep within the system, so running a full scan rather than a quick one is essential to ensure thorough detection.