MailGuard Blog — Breaking alerts, news and updates on cybersecurity topics

Fake cPanel Notice Targets Users with Inbound Email Suspension Notice

Written by MailGuard | 17 June 2025 03:02:17 Z

MailGuard has intercepted a new phishing campaign designed to harvest email credentials under the guise of a cPanel webmail notification. The email, which claims to be from “Cpanel,” uses social engineering to create a sense of urgency and manipulate users into clicking a malicious link that leads to a fake login page.

What the email looks like

The email is titled “In-bound email suspension” and is sent from a display name of “Cpanel,” using the address `info(at)mqstradingltd(dot)com`. It falsely warns recipients that their incoming emails could not be processed and invites them to “Review settings” to prevent message loss.

Here's what the email looks like 👇


How the scam works

This phishing campaign follows a simple but effective multi-step approach designed to deceive users and bypass suspicion:

1. The email contains a “Review settings” link that directs recipients to a fake Webmail-branded login page, hosted on a fraudulent domain.

2. The first login attempt fails, prompting the user to re-enter their credentials.

3. After credentials are entered again, the site shows a fake "Delivery Update" confirmation screen.

4. Victims are then redirected to the legitimate cPanel site, creating the illusion of authenticity and closing the loop.

This clever ruse increases the chance of credential theft while lowering suspicion, especially for users who are familiar with cPanel or receive system alerts regularly.

Technical insights

This attack is a textbook example of how cybercriminals exploit urgency and familiar interfaces to deceive recipients. With a simple HTML-based email and a clean interface, the scam is likely to bypass basic email filters and convince unsuspecting users to hand over login credentials.

Threat Type: Phishing (credential harvesting)

Sender Display Name: Cpanel

Sending Email Address: `info@mqstradingltd.com`

Subject Line Variants:

  • “In-bound email suspension”
  • “Important alert: review your access settings”
  • Spoofed Brand: cPanel Webmail

Stay Safe - Know the Signs

MailGuard advises all recipients of these emails to delete them immediately without clicking on any links. Responding or providing personal details can lead to identity theft, data breaches, and financial losses.

Avoid emails that:

  • Aren’t addressed to you personally.
  • Are unexpected and urge immediate action.
  • Contain poor grammar or miss crucial identifying details.
  • Direct you to a suspicious URL that isn’t associated with the genuine company.

Many businesses turn to MailGuard after a near miss or incident. Don't wait until it's too late. Reach out to our team for a confidential discussion by emailing expert@mailguard.com.au or calling 1300 30 44 30.

One Email Is All That It Takes   

All that it takes to devastate your business is a cleverly worded email message that can steal sensitive user credentials or disrupt your business operations. If scammers can trick one person in your company into clicking on a malicious link or attachment, they can gain access to your data or inflict damage on your business.     

For a few dollars per staff member per month, you can protect your business with MailGuard's specialist, 'zero zero-day' email security. Special Ops for when speed matters!  Our real-time 'zero zero-day', email threat detection amplifies our client’s intelligence, knowledge, security and defence. Talk to a solution consultant at MailGuard today about securing your company's inboxes.  

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