What kind of scam is "Server Password Expired Email Scam"

What kind of email is "Server Password Expired Email Scam"?

We have examined this email and found it to be a phishing scam. The message is disguised as a notification from the recipient's own email server, warning that the account password is expiring that same day. Its purpose is to trick recipients into entering their email credentials on a fake login page. This email should be ignored.

More about the "Server Password Expired Email Scam" email

The email claims the recipient's account password will expire that very day and warns that email functions such as sending and receiving messages could be limited unless action is taken immediately. It creates urgency by framing inaction as a loss of email access.

To avoid this, recipients are told to click a button labeled "MAINTAIN CURRENT PASSWORD". That button does not lead to any real email provider. Instead, it opens a fraudulent page designed to mimic a cPanel webmail interface, presenting options for Horde, Roundcube, and SquirrelMail. Visitors are prompted to enter their email address and password.

Anything typed into that fake page is captured and sent to the scammers. A hijacked email account can be used to read private correspondence, impersonate the owner when contacting friends or colleagues, reset passwords for other services tied to the same address, and collect details that enable identity theft.

Stolen accounts are also commonly sold to other cybercriminals or weaponized to send further phishing emails to everyone in the victim's contact list. cPanel, L.L.C. has no connection to this scam whatsoever. No legitimate email provider contacts users this way or asks them to click a link to maintain a password.

Similar scam emails in general

In summary, this is a phishing email disguised as a server password notice. It aims to steal email account credentials through a fake webmail login page. Recipients should delete the message and refrain from clicking any link it contains.

It is also worth noting that scam emails are used to distribute malware through malicious attachments and links. More examples of similar campaigns are Slack Annual Subscription Renewal, Roundcube Account Errors, and cPanel Server Upgrade.

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Cybercriminals distribute malware via email by attaching harmful files to their messages. These can include executable programs, compressed archives such as ZIP or RAR files, PDF documents, Microsoft Office files containing malicious macro commands, JavaScript files, and other formats.

Emails may also carry links pointing to websites that trigger automatic downloads or lead users to manually install harmful software. In most cases, malware requires some action from the user - opening a file, enabling a feature, or clicking a link - before it can take hold on the device.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Approach unsolicited emails with skepticism, especially those carrying attachments or urging you to click a link. Do not open files from senders you do not recognize, and only download software from official developer sites or verified app stores.

Steer clear of pirated software, key generators, and unofficial activation tools. Keep your operating system and all applications updated, as patches regularly close vulnerabilities that attackers exploit. Use a reputable antivirus program and keep it active 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 "Server Password Expired Email Scam" email letter:

Subject: [********]: MAINTAIN CURRENT PASSWORD.

******** Server Password Expired

Hi ********,

Your account password expires today if we do not receive your response regarding the account ********,
Email service operations such as "send and receive" may be limited if action is not taken.
Click maintain password to continue using current password.
[MAINTAIN CURRENT PASSWORD]

[See full terms and conditions.]

Copyright © ******** 2026 Email server

A fake webmail login page used in this scam:

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Quick menu:

• What is Server Password Expired 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, not targeted at specific people. Cybercriminals gather email addresses through data breaches, fake sign-up forms, and similar methods, then blast the same email to large numbers of recipients at once.

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

Change the password of the affected email account right away. Also update credentials for any other accounts that share the same password.

If additional sensitive information was disclosed - such as banking details or ID documents - contact the relevant institutions or authorities as soon as possible.

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

Executable files usually begin causing harm the moment they are opened. Document formats such as PDFs or Office files typically require additional user interaction, like enabling macros or running an included installer, before malware activates. The level of risk depends on the file type and the actions taken.

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

Simply reading or opening an email is harmless. Your computer is safe as long as you did not click any link or open any file contained in the message.

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

Combo Cleaner can detect and remove the vast majority of known malware threats. Running a complete system scan is essential, as it gives the tool the best chance of identifying and eliminating any infection that may have taken hold.