What is the "CMA CGM Shipment Tracking" email scam

What kind of email is "CMA CGM Shipment Tracking"?

We have examined this email and determined it is a scam. The message is disguised as an urgent shipment notification from CMA CGM, a legitimate container shipping company, falsely claiming that cargo containers have not been gated in for loading. It is a phishing email designed to steal email login credentials from unsuspecting recipients. This email should be ignored.

"CMA CGM Shipment Tracking" email scam in detail

The email poses as an official notification from CMA CGM, one of the world's largest container shipping lines. It claims that two containers linked to a specific booking reference have not been gated in at the port of MASSAWA and warns that missing the terminal cut-off deadline may result in additional charges.

Recipients are urged to click a button labeled "More tracking details" to address the situation. That link leads to a fake webmail login page hosted at walmerstory-webtechmail.wasmer[.]app, where the victim's email address appears pre-filled based on data embedded in the URL.

The page mimics a standard cPanel webmail interface, prompting the visitor to enter their email password. Anything typed into that field is sent directly to the scammers, not to any legitimate email provider.

With a stolen email account, cybercriminals can read private messages, intercept password reset links for banking and other services, and impersonate the victim to contact their colleagues or clients.

CMA CGM has no connection to this scam. The email originates from an address unrelated to the company's official domains, and the fake login site is not affiliated with CMA CGM in any way.

Similar scam emails in general

This email is a phishing scam that exploits the name of a well-known shipping company to create urgency and prompt a click. The actual goal is to harvest email account passwords through a fake webmail login page. In some cases, similar campaigns are also used to distribute malware.

More examples of scam emails used to steal credentials or deceive recipients are Process Attempting To Modify System Files, DHL Package Delivery Failed, and Admin Added You To The Project.

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Cybercriminals frequently attach malicious files to emails and send them to large numbers of recipients at once. These files can take many forms - executable programs, compressed archives, Office documents, PDFs, or script files. Opening the attachment, or enabling malicious macro commands within a document, triggers the malware installation process.

Some malicious emails do not use attachments at all and instead contain links to websites that either download harmful software automatically or instruct the visitor to download and run a file themselves. In most cases, some degree of user interaction is required before the malware can execute.

How to avoid installation of malware?

The most important habit is treating unexpected emails with skepticism, especially ones that warn of deadlines or financial consequences. Avoid clicking links or opening attachments from senders you do not recognize. When an email instructs you to log in to an account, navigate to that service's official website directly rather than using any link in the message.

Only download software from official developer websites or trusted app stores. Avoid pirated content, key generators, and unofficial download tools - these are common ways malware is bundled with otherwise functional software.

Keep your operating system and all installed applications updated, and use a reputable antivirus program. If you have already opened a suspicious file from an email, run a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to detect and remove any threats that may have been installed.

Text presented in the "CMA CGM Shipment Tracking" email letter:

Subject: CMA CGM - Container not gated-in at - MASSAWA - RTM1616559 1MO09E1MA - MASSAWA to MANNHEIM

CMA CGM - Container not gated in at MASSAWA / RTM1616559

Dear Valued Customer,

According to our records, the following containers belonging to RTM1616559 are yet to be gated in for loading:

CAIU3861365 (20ST),CMAU2202176 (20ST)
As a reminder, the terminal cut off is 7/31/2026 5:00 PM. Failure to gate containers in before this date & time will mean they will not be loaded on the intended vessel. This may result in additional charges for your account.

If you foresee any challenges in gating the containers in before this deadline, please speak to your Customer Care contact as a priority.

[More tracking details]

Booking Ref. WBMOD10615384 / RTM1616559
BL Ref. RTM1616559
Voyage 1MO09E1MA
Vessel ELREEDY STAR

POL Route
POD MASSAWA
FPD MALTA(FREEPORT)

MANNHEIM

Parties
Booking Party
OBHAR FREIGHT FORWARDING - BREDA (NL)
Shipper
ASMARA BREWERY CORPORATION - Eritrea (ER) - NO REF
Consignee
Trade Impact GmbH - (DE)

Full appearance of the "CMA CGM Shipment Tracking" scam email (GIF):

A fake 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:

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Quick menu:

• What is CMA CGM Shipment Tracking 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 emails are sent to large numbers of people at once and are not aimed at specific individuals. Cybercriminals compile recipient lists using data from previous breaches, fake sign-up pages, and similar collection methods. Receiving one does not mean you were specifically targeted.

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

Change your email account password immediately, along with the passwords of any other accounts using the same credentials. If you also entered banking or payment details on the phishing page, contact your financial institution 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 infect a system as soon as they are opened. Document types such as PDFs or Word files carry lower immediate risk, as they typically require the user to enable macros or run an embedded installer before an infection begins.

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

No. Reading an email is harmless on its own. Your computer is only at risk if you clicked a link, opened an attachment, or otherwise interacted with malicious content within the message.

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 complete system scan is recommended to ensure that all threats, including more sophisticated ones, are identified and eliminated.