A Comprehensive Guide to “Your E-mail Will Be Closed” Spam Mails
Email spam is a common threat to internet users. One such troubling spam email is the “Your E-mail Will Be Closed” message, which has become a significant concern due to its malicious nature. This article will guide you through what this email is, cómo funciona, and how to protect yourself from its potential harm.
Understanding the “Your E-mail Will Be Closed” Spam Mail
The “Your E-mail Will Be Closed” spam email is categorized as malspam, a type of email that contains malicious attachments or links. It deceives recipients into believing that their email account will be deactivated unless they ‘update’ it.
The trick of this spam email lies in its attachment, which masquerades as a document containing undelivered emails. This Microsoft Word document, sin embargo, is infected with the Agent Tesla RAT (Troyano de acceso remoto), a dangerous malware that can steal sensitive information from the infected device.
How the “Your E-mail Will Be Closed” Spam Mail Works
The deceptive email typically arrives with a subject like “EMAIL INTERFACE UPGRADE AVOID CLOSURE OF YOUR EMAIL.” It claims that the recipient’s email account will be deactivated on a specified date due to ignored updates. The recipient is urged to update their account to prevent this from happening.
When the attached document is opened, the user is asked to press the “Enable Editing” button, which then activates its malicious macro commands. These commands initiate the download and installation process of the Agent Tesla malware.
Potential Consequences of the “Your E-mail Will Be Closed” Spam Mail
Trusting an email like “Your E-mail Will Be Closed” can lead to severe consequences. These can include system infections, significant privacy issues, pérdidas financieras, e incluso robo de identidad. If you suspect that your device is already infected with the Agent Tesla RAT (or other malware), it is crucial to run a full system scan using reliable anti-virus software and eliminate all detected threats.
Characteristics of the “Your E-mail Will Be Closed” Malspam
The “Your E-mail Will Be Closed” malspam is characterized by the following features:
- Nombre: “Your E-mail Will Be Closed” malspam
- Tipo de amenaza: Troyano, virus que roba contraseñas, banking malware, spyware
- False Claim: Email account will be deactivated unless updated
- Attachment: Undelivered Mails.doc (filename may vary)
- Carga útil: Agent Tesla
- Síntomas: Trojans are designed to infiltrate the victim’s computer stealthily and remain silent, making symptoms unclear on an infected machine
- Métodos de distribución: Archivos adjuntos de correo electrónico infectados, anuncios maliciosos en línea, Ingeniería social, 'grietas' de software
- Daño: Contraseñas e información bancaria robadas, el robo de identidad, the victim’s computer added to a botnet
You can check the full list of detections on VirusTotal.
Infection Methods of Spam Campaigns
Spam campaigns like the “Your E-mail Will Be Closed” email predominantly infect computers through malicious attachments or links leading to harmful websites. These attachments and links can come in various formats, incluidos los documentos (oficina de microsoft, microsoft una nota, PDF, etc.), archivos (cremallera, RAR, etc.), ejecutables (.exe, .correr, etc.), JavaScript, y más.
When such a file is executed or opened, the infection process begins. Por ejemplo, Microsoft documents infect devices by executing malicious macros, while harmful OneNote files require users to click on embedded files or links.
Prevención de la instalación de malware
To avoid installing malware, it’s crucial to exercise caution with incoming emails and messages. Do not open attachments or links in dubious or irrelevant emails, as they can be infectious. Además , using Microsoft Office versions released after 2010 is recommended, as they have the “Protected View” mode, which prevents automatic macro command execution.
Malware is also commonly spread through unreliable download sources (por ejemplo, freeware sites, Redes de intercambio P2P, etc.), herramientas de activación de programas ilegales ("grietas"), actualizaciones falsas, estafas en línea, y publicidad maliciosa. Por lo tanto, it’s advisable to download only from official or verified sources and update software using legitimate tools.
Identifying the “Your E-mail Will Be Closed” Spam Email
Here is an example of the text presented in the “Your E-mail Will Be Closed” spam email:
Subject: EMAIL INTERFACE UPGRADE AVOID CLOSURE OF YOUR EMAIL.
CLOSURE OF EMAIL
We informed you that your E-mail will be closed ON 25/6/2022 because you have been ignoring all our upgrade messages sent to you.
If you wish to continue using your Email update now to continue using our service.
Click here to update
Notice: Ignoring this message will cause your E-mail to be terminated without your permission. MOVE MAIL TO INBOX IF SEEN IN SPAM/JUNK.
Thanks ,
Sincerely
- Mail Protector 2023
And here is a screenshot of the malicious attachment distributed via this spam campaign (“Undelivered Mails.doc”):
Eliminación automática de malware
Herramienta antispam recomendada:
Prueba MailWasher
La seguridad del correo electrónico es la primera línea de defensa contra los virus ransomware. Para hacer esto, le recomendamos que utilice MailWasher. MailWasher bloquea los virus ransomware que llegan a través del spam y el phishing, y detecta automáticamente archivos adjuntos y URL maliciosos. Además, los mensajes maliciosos se pueden bloquear incluso antes de que el destinatario los abra. Dado que la principal fuente de propagación de los virus ransomware son los correos electrónicos infectados, antispam reduce significativamente el riesgo de que aparezca un virus en su computadora.
Comprender los diferentes tipos de correos electrónicos maliciosos
There are various types of malicious emails that internet users should be aware of:
Correos electrónicos de phishing
Phishing emails are commonly used by cybercriminals to trick users into giving away their sensitive private information, como información de inicio de sesión para varios servicios en línea, cuentas de correo electrónico, o información bancaria en línea. Cybercriminals often use popular service logos (por ejemplo, microsoft, DHL, Amazon, Netflix) and create a sense of urgency to trick users into clicking on a link. The link then redirects victims to a fake website, where they are asked to enter their password, detalles de la tarjeta de crédito, or other information.
Correos electrónicos con archivos adjuntos maliciosos
Cybercriminals often use email spam with malicious attachments to infect users’ computers with malware. These attachments usually carry trojans that are capable of stealing passwords, información bancaria, y otra información sensible.
Correos electrónicos de sextorsión
Sextortion emails claim that a cybercriminal has access to the victim’s webcam and has a video recording of the victim. Para deshacerse del video, se pide a las víctimas que paguen un rescate. Sin embargo, these claims are usually false, and such emails should be ignored and deleted.
How to Recognize a Malicious Email
While cybercriminals try to make their lure emails look trustworthy, here are some things that you should look for when trying to spot a phishing email:
- Verifique el remitente ("de") dirección de correo electrónico: Make sure the email address is legitimate. Por ejemplo, an email from Microsoft should have an @microsoft.com address, not something suspicious like @m1crosoft.com or @microsfot.com.
- Busque saludos genéricos.: Emails that start with “Dear user” or “Dear valued customer” could be phishing attempts. Most companies will call you by your name.
- Consulta los enlaces en el correo electrónico.: Hover your mouse over the link in the email. If the link appears suspicious, no hagas clic.
- Be wary of email attachments: Legitimate companies usually ask you to log in to their website and view any documents there. Si recibe un correo electrónico con un archivo adjunto, it’s a good idea to scan it with an antivirus application.
Para minimizar el riesgo de abrir correos electrónicos maliciosos y de phishing, Considere usar Combo Cleaner Antivirus for macOS.
Qué hacer si cae en una estafa por correo electrónico
If you fell for an email scam, aquí hay algunos pasos que debes seguir:
- cambia tu contraseña: Si hizo clic en un enlace en un correo electrónico de phishing e ingresó su contraseña, change it as soon as possible.
- Contacta con tu banco: Si ingresó la información de su tarjeta de crédito, contact your bank immediately.
- Contact the authorities: If you see signs of identity theft, contact the Federal Trade Commission.
- Escanea tu computadora: Si abriste un archivo adjunto malicioso, scan your computer with a reputable antivirus application.
Preguntas frecuentes (Preguntas más frecuentes)
¿Por qué recibí este correo electrónico??
Spam mail is not personal. Cybercriminals send it in massive operations, so thousands of users receive identical emails.
I have read a spam email but didn’t open the attachment, mi computadora esta infectada?
Devices are infected when malicious attachments or links are opened. Merely reading an email will not initiate any system infection processes.
I have downloaded and opened a file attached to a spam email, mi computadora esta infectada?
Whether your device was infected might depend on the opened file’s format. Una vez abierto, ejecutables (.exe, .correr, etc.) cause infections almost without fail. While documents (.doc, .xls, .one, .pdf, etc.) may need additional user interaction (por ejemplo, enabling macros, clicking embedded files/links, etc.) to start downloading/installing malware.