Crimson International Scam Email Warning – Don’t Get Infected!

E-mail scams and phishing attempts are becoming increasingly common as cybercriminals look to trick unsuspecting victims into compromising their systems or disclosing sensitive information. One such scam that has been circulating recently involves emails that pretend to be from the pharmaceutical company Crimson International.

Overview of the Crimson International Email Scam

This fraudulent email claims to contain information about a pharmaceutical order from Crimson International. The email uses the company’s name and branding to appear legitimate at first glance.

The subject line of the email reads “Pharmaceutical order from crimson international.” The body contains a short message claiming they have a revised order and are requesting a price quote and certificate of analysis (COA).

However, upon closer inspection it becomes clear this is not a real communication from Crimson International. The email contains several red flags that indicate it is malicious spam or phishing attempt.

Some of the signs this email is a scam include:

• Generic greeting without using the recipient’s name
• Poor grammar and spelling errors
• Requests sensitive information like pricing and certificates
• Attachment with a potentially malicious file

The attachment that is sent with the email often contains malware or a remote access Trojan (RAT) that can infect the victim’s computer if opened. The specific malware being distributed is believed to be the Agent Tesla RAT.

This allows the attackers to gain full access to an infected system, allowing them to steal data, install more malware, or utilize the victim’s computer for their own criminal purposes.

It is important to note that this malicious email is not associated with the real Crimson International pharmaceutical company in any way. The scammers are simply impersonating the company in order to trick people.

Criminal Motives Behind the Scam

Cybercriminals orchestrate email scams like this Crimson International phishing attempt for a few key reasons:

• Financial fraud – Getting access to business systems can allow scammers to conduct invoice or payment fraud, redirect transactions, or steal banking credentials.
• Malware distribution – Sending malware like Agent Tesla through phishing emails allows it to bypass many email security filters and infect more victims.
• Corporate data theft – Once inside an organization’s network, the attackers can exfiltrate sensitive data like customer info, trade secrets, intellectual property, and more. This data can sometimes be sold to competitors or other criminal groups.
• Use of infected computers – Computers infected with the RAT can be added to a botnet, which are networks of devices under the control of cybercriminals. Botnets can be leveraged for sending more spam, distributed denial of service attacks (DDoS), cryptocurrency mining, and other illicit money making schemes.

As you can see, the operators behind phishing scams like this one can benefit in numerous ways if victims are tricked into opening the malicious emails and attachments. This results in very real financial and data security consequences.

How the Crimson International Scam Works

Now that we have covered an overview of the scam, let’s look closer at how the phishing attempt works and tricks users into compromising their systems:

1. Scammers Send Mass Emails Impersonating a Company

The cybercriminals begin by crafting emails that masquerade as a legitimate business communication. In this case, they pose as Crimson International, a real pharmaceutical company, in order to appear trustworthy to recipients.

The email is made to look like it is coming from an employee or representative of Crimson International requesting a revised price quote and certificate of analysis for an order.

Of course, the contact information in the headers will actually point back to the scammer’s servers, not Crimson International’s real email addresses. But this is designed to fool casual glance.

2. Recipient Opens Email Thinking it is Legitimate

When victims first see the email in their inbox, they are likely to open it without initially realizing it is malicious.

The phishing email has no obvious red flags at first glance. The average person is not analyzing header information or scrutinizing every email they receive claiming to be from a legitimate company.

Seeing Crimson International in the subject line and content, many will open the email thinking it is a normal business communication.

3. Malware Attachment Infects Victim’s Computer

Once opened, the email instructs the recipient to review the attached document which supposedly contains details about the pharmaceutical order being discussed.

However, this attached document in actuality contains malware – specifically the Agent Tesla remote access Trojan. Agent Tesla is the payload the cybercriminals are distributing through this phishing scam.

If the victim clicks and opens the attachment, the Agent Tesla malware will automatically execute and install itself on their system without the need for any action. The malware infection will then provide full remote control of the system to the attackers.

4. Criminals Use Illicit Access Against the Victim

From this point on, the possibilities are frightening for what the criminals can do after compromising the victim’s computer.

Having installed the RAT malware, the attackers now have:

• Remote desktop control to manipulate the infected system at will
• Tools to start exfiltrating any data stored on the system
• Ability to download additional malware payloads
• Capacity to monitor users’ activities through keylogging and other surveillance tools
• An infected endpoint they can leverage as part of a botnet

The victim’s antivirus software and firewalls are rendered useless since the malware is already installed and often uses evasion techniques to avoid detection.

The hackers can then steal passwords, transfer funds, or collect sensitive corporate data at their leisure. Or they may opt to just sell access to other criminal groups on dark web markets who will in turn abuse the compromised system.

Either way, the consequences can be severe once the malicious attachment from the phishing email is opened. This gives the scammers backdoor access into both personal and enterprise networks.

Optimizing Defenses Against the Crimson International Scam

Now that you understand how this scam works and the criminal motivations behind it, it’s crucial to know how to optimize defenses to avoid falling victim. Here are some best practices individuals and organizations should follow:

Carefully Inspect Unexpected Emails Claiming to be From Companies

The foundation of phishing defense is training email users to scrutinize any unexpected messages purporting to be from a legitimate business.

Look for typos, grammar mistakes, generic greetings, and requests for sensitive information or action – these are common red flags. Also verify the sender’s email address looks accurate if unsure.

Even emails mentioning your company’s name specifically in the subject or content could be spoofed. Approach with caution.

Avoid Opening Attachments From Unknown Senders

Users should develop a mindset of always distrusting attachments in emails, especially from unfamiliar contacts. This simple habit could prevent infection in many phishing incidents.

When attachments must be opened, you can try to preview the file type icon first instead of enabling macros or plugins. Be on high alert for anything suspicious.

Install and Update Antivirus and Anti-Malware Tools

Security software with real-time protection and scanning can potentially detect known threats in emails and attachments before they reach users’ inboxes.

Make sure all antivirus and anti-malware programs are patched with the latest definitions to identify new phishing techniques and malware strains as they emerge.

Use Email Filtering Tools To Identify Phishing Attempts

Dedicated email security solutions can automatically detect potential phishing emails using a combination of tactics like header analysis, content inspection, machine learning, and blacklist databases.

Tools like DMARC, DKIM, and SPF can also help validate legitimate emails and block spoofs. This acts as an additional filtering layer against phishing.

Limit Public Email Posting and Sharing

Be careful about posting generic company email addresses publicly online or sharing them outside trusted recipients. This makes it easier for scammers to harvest valid business emails and use them as phishing targets.

Educate Employees on Phishing Threats

Ongoing user education is critical to help staff recognize subtle phishing indicators that automated systems may miss. Teach employees how to scrutinize emails and safely handle attachments to create a human firewall.

Combining the above technology solutions and user training best practices will help significantly improve resilience against phishing campaigns like the fake Crimson International emails. Staying vigilant and keeping systems patched and secured is key to protecting against evolving cybercriminal tactics.

What to do if You Have Fallen Victim to This Scam

If you believe you have been compromised by opening the attachment in the Crimson International phishing email, here are the steps you should take right away:

1. Disconnect Your Device From Networks Immediately

If your system has been infected with malware like Agent Tesla, one of the worst things you can do is continue having that system connected to business networks or the internet. This allows the attackers to leverage and abuse your device remotely.

Unplug the system from wired connections, disable Wi-Fi, and generally air gap the device as much as possible to cut off criminal access. This limits the damage that can be done.

2. Reset Passwords for All Systems and Accounts

With your device compromised, assume that any passwords, credentials, or other sensitive data stored on that system is potentially accessed by the attackers.

Work under the assumption your passwords are burned. Change the credentials on the infected system, email accounts, financial accounts, cloud services, or any other login that could be utilized by criminals who now have a backdoor into your device. Enable multi-factor authentication where possible.

3. Scan for More Compromised Devices on Your Network

There is a strong chance that your network has been more broadly compromised if you opened a phishing email attachment. Isolate and scan all your systems to check for additional malware infections that may have spread.

Look for signs of data exfiltration, unexpected encrypted files, unknown processes and services, suspicious network connections, or other IOCs that point to a wider breach. Take measures to detect lateral movement.

4. Wipe and Re-Image Infected Systems

For endpoints confirmed to be infected with malware, the only way to fully remediate is often to wipe the system completely and re-image it from a known good backup or source image file.

Simply running antivirus scans or deleting individual files is often not enough, as sophisticated malware can embed itself at a system level. Full wipes reduce the risk of reinfection from remnants.

5. Reset Compromised Credentials a Second Time

Once you have wiped infected systems and restored them to a clean state, you must now reset all credentials again. This ensures any credentials that may have been harvested during the breach are cycled out and invalidated. Enable multi-factor authentication wherever possible.

6. Notify Contacts of Potential Data Compromise

If sensitive customer data, intellectual property, financial information, or other private records were potentially accessed in the breach, you may have regulatory and compliance obligations to notify impacted individuals and partners. Follow breach disclosure laws and consult experts as needed on notification requirements.

7. Engage Incident Response and Forensics Firms

For more severe enterprise compromises, it is often wise to enlist outside cybersecurity incident response teams and digital forensics firms to fully identify root causes, quantify potential data loss, and implement recovery processes. They can also help address legal and regulatory duties in large-scale breaches.

Recovering from a malware infection requires time and dedication. But following these steps can help minimize damage, restore systems, reset credentials, identify areas of persistence, and prevent future failings of a similar nature. Don’t delay in taking swift action at the first sign of compromise.

Is Your Device Infected? Check for Malware

If your device is running slowly or acting suspicious, it may be infected with malware. Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free is a great option for scanning your device and detecting potential malware or viruses. The free version can efficiently check for and remove many common infections.  

Malwarebytes can run on Windows, Mac, and Android devices. Depending on which operating system is installed on the device you’re trying to run a Malwarebytes scan, please click on the tab below and follow the displayed steps.

Here is an FAQ section about the Crimson International email scam:

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Crimson International email scam?

This is a phishing scam where targeted emails are sent out pretending to come from the pharmaceutical company Crimson International. The emails discuss a fake revised order and contain infected attachments that install malware if opened.

What is the goal of this scam?

The cybercriminals aim to infect victims with remote access malware like Agent Tesla to steal data, install more malware, spy on users, or utilize compromised systems in other illegal cybercrime operations.

How does the scam email reach people’s inboxes?

The scammers use spoofed email headers and branding to pretend the message is from Crimson International. This tricks some email filters and users into believing the email is legitimate.

What should I do if I receive an email like this?

Do not open any attachments. Double check the sender address for accuracy if you are unsure. Report the email as phishing/spam. Delete the message and do not reply.

Can anti-virus or email security tools detect this scam?

In some cases yes, but cybercriminals constantly evolve their tactics to bypass filters. Users should still scrutinize emails in addition to security software.

What happens if a user opens the attachment?

The malware payload in the attachment infects their system. This allows remote access for criminals to steal data, install more malware, spy on users, or utilize the compromised computer for other illicit activities.

How can users recover if they opened the attachment?

Immediately disconnect the infected device from other networks. Reset ALL passwords. Wipe and re-image the compromised system. Scan other devices for infection. Notify contacts if sensitive data was exposed. Engage incident response teams as needed.

How can companies better protect against this scam?

Implement email filtering tools, keep antivirus software updated, provide effective phishing training to employees, avoid posting generic business emails publicly, and utilize multi-factor authentication.

Who should be notified about this scam?

Report the phishing attempt to your security team. Law enforcement agencies like the FBI that track cybercrime can also be notified to help prevent further spread of the scam.

Conclusion

Phishing emails impersonating legitimate companies continue to be a threat, as seen in the recent scam pretending to be Crimson International. The scam takes advantage of brand familiarity and Holder
our lack of scrutiny when receiving emails that appear to be from major corporations.

However, learning the common signs these phishing attempts exhibit allows us to be more discerning and identify the red flags. Avoiding opening attachments from unknown senders can also prevent infection.

Enterprises must couple these user education efforts with technological defenses like gateway email filtering, antivirus, and access controls to create defense in depth.

With proper layered security and vigilance, organizations can significantly reduce their risk of falling victim to phishing campaigns like this Crimson International scam email distributing Agent Tesla malware. But it requires active appraisal of inbound emails, patching systems, and enabling multi-factor authentication across the environment.

By understanding the scam tactics, strengthening email security posture, and training staff to identify subtle phishing indicators, companies can better defend their networks and data against unauthorized access attempts.