Email is a tool as useful as it is dangerous. Thats the reality. It is a widely used means of communication at all levels, but it also represents a threat from hackers. They constantly look for ways to attack their victims through a simple e-mail. In this article we echo a new scam attempt that alerts users that their email account has been included in a spam list and is therefore blocked.
A new scam alert that the e-mail is in a spam list
In this case, this scam basically consists of sending an e-mail to the victim and indicating that their email address has been included in a spam list. This means that the account is locked. They assure that this has happened because of an improper use of our e-mail.
They impersonate the Spamhaus project, an organization that creates spam block lists for later use by e-mail providers and thus avoid junk mail from known accounts.
What really happens is that we are facing a Phishing campaign . Hackers seek to create alert among users and thus open the e-mail. As is often the case in these types of scams, they want users, victims, to take measures to solve the problem.
In that e-mail, where they inform the victim that their account has been blacklisted and that they will not be able to send emails, there are a series of instructions for users to carry out. Through these steps they would solve the problem and their account would be operational again.
Link to Google Drive
This email contains a link to Google Drive and a key to a file where those instructions are supposed to be followed. It is a ZIP file , where inside it really saves other malicious files. The specific malicious file is SPAMHAUS_SBL_i9k.vbs.
By executing that file we put our equipment at risk. It will launch a malicious script that is actually a Trojan that aims to steal data and record everything the user writes on their computer. It is basically a keylogger that affects Windows and is capable of registering all our passwords and credentials. With this information the attacker could access our accounts, obtain data related to the use we give to the team, etc.
To avoid being victims of this problem, common sense is very important. We must always pay attention to all the emails we receive. You never have to download or open possible attachments without really knowing who is behind. As we have seen in this case it is a new scam that looks for the victim to believe that their e-mail has entered a spam list. Something that, as we can imagine, can make inexperienced users doubt.
We also recommend always having security tools, as well as having updated systems. With the latest patches and updates installed we can prevent attacks that are based on vulnerabilities.
