Remove “Your Email Certificate Has Expired” email

The “Your Email Certificate Has Expired” email is part of a phishing campaign that tries to steal users’ email login credentials. The email claims that your email certificate has expired and you have unread messages from your customers. The email asks you to click on a button to update the certificate. Users who click on the provided button will end up on a phishing site.

 

 

This “Your Email Certificate Has Expired” email is a very typical phishing email. It first tries to get users’ attention with an alarming subject line “E-mail certificate expiration notice”. This is bound to trick some users into opening the email. If users do open it, they will be greeted with a message saying their email certificate has expired. This has supposedly led to some messages from customers not being delivered. However, because the supposed email provider has those messages stored in their cloud server, recipients can get those messages if they update their certificates. A “See emails and steps” button is provided in the email.

The full text from “Your Email Certificate Has Expired” phishing email is below:

Subject: ********: E-mail Certificate Expiration Notice

Your Email Certificate on ******** has expired

Dear Valued Customer,

This message is directed to your email, ********.
You are getting this message because your email Certificate has expired.

Due to this error, some messages from your customers were unable to reach you and we have this messages stored in our cloud server folder.

Please, kindly follow the instruction below to read this mesages and update your email certificate for ********.
See emails and Steps

Make sure you confirm your current login session by logging in with your correct information so that this error will be fixed.

If you engage with the email and click on the button, you will be redirected to a fake login page for your email provider. Keep in mind that this website will closely resemble the legitimate email provider website, but it contains several signs that indicate it is a phishing site. The site will prompt you to enter your email credentials. If you type in your information it will be immediately sent to the malicious actors behind this phishing campaign.

Email accounts are linked to numerous other accounts, some of which may be more important than others, and they often contain a wealth of personal information, particularly business email accounts. This makes email account credentials extremely valuable to cybercriminals. When email accounts are hijacked, it can have serious consequences for users. For instance, if malicious actors gain access to your email, they could potentially take over all connected accounts, such as your social media accounts, and send messages to your contacts asking for money.

Given that email accounts hold sensitive information, it is crucial to be particularly cautious with your login credentials.

Signs of a phishing email

Phishing attempts are often generic because they target numerous users with the same email. More sophisticated phishing campaigns tend to focus on specific, high-profile targets. However, most users are likely to encounter generic phishing emails that are relatively easy to recognize.

Malicious actors typically disguise phishing emails as legitimate correspondence from trusted companies. For instance, an email titled “Your Email Certificate Has Expired” may appear to be from your email provider. However, the format and content often reveal that the email is malicious.

One key indicator of a phishing email is how it addresses the recipient. Companies that provide services typically address their customers by name to make the email feel more personal. However, malicious actors usually lack access to personal information unless they are running a highly sophisticated campaign. As a result, phishing emails often use generic terms like “Customer,” “Member,” or “User.” In the case of the “Your Email Certificate Has Expired” email, it addresses you as a “Valued Customer”, which is an immediate giveaway.

Another sign of a phishing email is an abundance of grammar and spelling mistakes. Legitimate companies usually ensure their emails are free of all mistakes, as they appear unprofessional. In contrast, phishing emails are frequently riddled with both spelling and grammar mistakes.

Phishing emails often claim that there is a problem with users’ accounts, prompting users to click on links within the email. This tactic is common, as seen in the “Your Email Certificate Has Expired” email. However, it’s advisable to avoid clicking links in any suspicious emails. Instead, users should log in to their accounts directly to verify whether there is an actual issue.

Lastly, before entering any credentials anywhere, users should always check the URL of the site. Phishing sites are designed to look like legitimate websites, but the URL will often reveal whether the site is legitimate. If a site’s URL appears even slightly suspicious, users should not enter their personal information.

“Your Email Certificate Has Expired” phishing email removal

If you receive this email, you can safely delete “Your Email Certificate Has Expired” phishing email from your inbox. If you have clicked on the button in the email and entered your login credentials, it’s crucial that you change your email account password immediately. If you can’t access your email account, contact your email provider for assistance in recovering it. If recovery is no longer possible, make sure to disconnect your email account from any linked services to prevent those accounts from being compromised as well.