Warning: ‘We are going to sue you’ Spam Email Spreads ‘Trojan Downloader’

'We are going to sue you' is a fraudulent lawsuit e-mail message that's used to lure you into opening a malicious file attachment. Although 'We are going to sue you' is one of the most common types of subject headers for this type of spam, 'We are going to sue you' spam messages have also been known to use variant titles that also include the same threat of legal action. Although 'We are going to sue you' messages claim to be sent by a legitimate company and accuse you of spamming, the fake text file that's attached to 'We are going to sue you' messages actually is a trojan downloader (a trojan that installs other forms of malicious software). You should delete 'We are going to sue you' e-mail messages as soon as they appear in your mailbox, and if you've already opened a 'We are going to sue you' attachment, be ready to use anti-malware software to get rid of your 'We are going to sue you' problem before serious harm to your PC can occur.

'We are going to sue you' - Opening the Door for Trojans... in a Barely-Convincing Manner

'We are going to sue you' may use slightly different titles, although all of the titles that 'We are going to sue you' uses float the common theme of aggressive litigation. Other titles that 'We are going to sue you' goes by include 'Please stop sending spam messages,' 'A message from our security service' and 'This is the final warning.' The latter may be the most obvious attempt at a spam e-mail-based scam, since there is no 'first' warning that would make a 'final warning' style 'We are going to sue you' message look believable!

No matter what title 'We are going to sue you' comes to you by, the contents will always resemble the sample that's reproduced here:

Hello.

Your email is sending spam messages!
If you don't stop sending spam, we will be impelled to sue you!
We've attached a scanned copy of the document assembled by our security service to this letter.
Please carefully read through the document and stop sending spam messages.
This is the final warning!
[random company name] Company.

The file attachment, which is often labeled Attached_Document#55622.zip, is a small (in most cases, under forty kilobytes) file that contains, not a text document, but a trojan. Our malware researchers have found that this trojan is of a standard 'downloader' type that can be configured to perform a wide range of hostile actions as confirmed by VirusTotal. Additionally, other security research sources have identified other variations of this Trojan such as W32/Trojan3.CXG, Trojan.Win32.Ransom and Trojan/Win32.Jorik.

Uninviting 'We are going to sue you' and Its Unwelcome Guest

If you fell for the 'We are going to sue you' scam and installed its attached trojan, you may be in danger of attacks like the ones noted below. Our malware researchers advise that you be aware of the following possibilities even if there aren't any overt indications of the trojan's presence on your PC, since many forms of trojan downloaders will use a variety of techniques to conceal their attacks.

• 'We are going to sue you' trojans may install spyware programs that monitor and transmit private data, including bank account information, passwords and other info that could be used to indulge in identity theft and illicit financial transfers.
• 'We are going to sue you' trojans may install a RAT (or Remote Administration Tool) that allows hackers to seize control of your PC and force it to perform harmful or illegal acts.
• Browser hijacker attacks (including redirect attacks, locked browser settings and popups) are also notable possibilities on any computer that's been compromised by a 'We are going to sue you' trojan.
• 'We are going to sue you' trojans may even install scamware products that pretend to offer useful services while they deceive you about your computer's health and the presence (or lack thereof) of various infections.

Regardless of the exact symptoms that a 'We are going to sue you' infection manifests, our malware experts recommend that you run to your nearest anti-malware scanner to find and remove any 'We are going to sue you' trojans and related software.