What is the "Mandatory Verification/Update Process" email scam

What kind of email is "Mandatory Verification/Update Process"?

We have examined this email and determined it is a phishing scam. It masquerades as an urgent security notice from an email service provider, pressuring recipients into clicking a link that leads to a fake login page. Anyone who submits their credentials on that page hands them directly to the scammers. This email should be ignored.

"Mandatory Verification/Update Process" email scam overview

The email falsely claims that the recipient's account has not yet completed a mandatory verification and update process. Citing routine security maintenance, it demands that account information be updated within five business days, with consequences ranging from the inability to send or receive messages to permanent account deletion.

A link labeled "PLEASE CLICK HERE TO UPDATE" is embedded in the message. The email also warns that the mailbox and all saved messages will be destroyed if no action is taken. Worth noting: the subject line claims a device is exposed to hackers due to a declined payment, which has no relation to the body text - a common red flag in mass-distributed scam campaigns.

Clicking the link leads to a fraudulent website at housofplain[.]com. Based on the screenshot, the site displays a fake Gmail login form overlaid on what appears to be the real Gmail sign-in page. The form requests an email address and password. Whatever the victim enters is sent straight to the scammers, not to Google or any other legitimate provider.

The phishing page likely adapts its appearance based on the email address embedded in the link. A Gmail user would see a Gmail-branded form; users of other services may see a version tailored to their provider. This technique makes the fake page appear far more convincing than a generic credential form.

Stolen email credentials can be used to hijack accounts, access linked services, impersonate the victim, and send further scam emails. They may also be sold to other criminals. Google and all legitimate email providers have no connection to this scam in any way.

Similar scam emails in general

In conclusion, the "Mandatory Verification/Update Process" email is a phishing scam impersonating an email service provider. Its goal is to trick recipients into handing over their login credentials on a fraudulent website. The email should be deleted without clicking any links.

Sometimes, scam emails like this are also used to distribute malware. More examples of similar phishing campaigns are Invoice Payment Is Past Due, Your Mail Account Is Overdue For System Update, and ChatGPT Payment Reminder.

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Cybercriminals often attach malicious files directly to emails or include links that lead to harmful websites. These files can come in many formats - executables, compressed archives, Microsoft Office documents, PDFs, or script files.

Opening such a file, or clicking a link that triggers a drive-by download, can launch malware installation. Office documents sometimes require the user to enable malicious macro commands before they can run. In most cases, some level of user interaction is required for the infection to succeed.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Be cautious with emails from unknown senders. Do not click links or open attachments unless you are certain of their origin. Phishing emails often create a sense of urgency to push recipients into acting without thinking.

Download software only from official websites or verified app stores. Avoid pirated software, cracks, and key generators, as these are common malware distribution vectors. Keep your operating system and all installed applications up to date, and use reputable security software.

If you have already opened a suspicious file, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate any malware that may have been installed.

Text presented in the "Mandatory Verification/Update Process" email letter:

Subject: Your device is exposed to hackers because your payment was declined.

Dear Subscriber,

Our records indicate that your account has not yet completed the mandatory verification/update process. As part of our routine security maintenance, all account holders are required to update their account information within 5 business days of receiving this notification.

Failure to update may result in:
Inability to send or receive messages
Suspension of mailbox services
Permanent loss of access to your account
[PLEASE CLICK HERE TO UPDATE]

WARNING: Accounts not updated within the specified period will be automatically deleted from our system. This action is irreversible.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

If you ignore this, your mailbox and all saved messages will be destroyed. We cannot restore deleted accounts.

— Technical Support Teamreserved

A fake Gmail login page used in this scam (housofplain[.]com):

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Quick menu:

• What is Mandatory Verification/Update Process phishing site?
• 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 out in mass campaigns, not targeted at specific individuals. Scammers collect email addresses through data breaches, fake sign-up pages, and similar methods, then send identical emails to large groups of people.

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

Change the password of any account whose credentials may have been exposed. Do this immediately for the compromised account and any other accounts sharing the same password. If you provided financial details, contact your bank or card issuer without delay.

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

Executable files (.exe and similar) tend to activate malware as soon as they are opened. Document formats such as Word or PDF files generally require additional steps - like enabling macros or running an installer - before a threat can take hold. The actual risk depends on the file type and how the user interacted with it.

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

Simply reading or viewing an email does not cause infection. A system is put at risk only when the user opens an attachment or follows a link that delivers malicious content. If you did not interact with the email's links or files, your device is not at risk.

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

Combo Cleaner is capable of detecting and removing the vast majority of known malware threats. Running a full system scan is recommended, as some more sophisticated threats may be designed to evade detection without it.