The email message below: "Customer Reminder - This is a 10 (ten) days' warning about your rent arrears," has a link to a malicious Zip or archive file that contains a virus or Trojan horse that will infect your computer if you open it. The message was designed to trick curious recipients into clicking the malicious link within it, downloading and opening the malicious file, thinking it is a file that contains details of their rent record.
The Malicious Email Message
From: Landowner
To: Tenant
Subject: Customer Reminder
Dear Madam or Sir!
This is a 10 (ten) days' warning about your rent arrears. Your rent is behind by two thousand pounds and it's a breach of the Residential Tenancies Act and the Tenancy Agreement between us.
We insist that you pay #2000 (two thousand pounds) within next 10 (ten) working days. We request that the outstanding balance be paid in full in the next 10 (ten) days; otherwise we will apply to the court for you to pay all the rent owed and to end your tenancy.
To find out more details on your rent record click here: [Link].
Now, if you have already downloaded and opened the malicious file, please do a full scan of your computer with the antivirus software installed on it.
If you don’t have antivirus software installed on your computer, please click here for a list of free antivirus software.
Beware, cyber-criminals are sending out thousands of fake email messages with malicious attachments and links to malicious files.
Be careful when opening email attachments or clicking on links in email messages.
This fake and malicious email message is similar to the Pretrial Notice - Legal Notice - Warrant to Appear In Court email messages.