The password expiry scam is circulating across personal inboxes, business email systems, shared hosting environments, and enterprise mail platforms. These messages claim an account password will expire within a short deadline, often seventy-two hours, and they instruct the recipient to follow a link to keep their password active. The notices are written to resemble automated service alerts from legitimate providers, but every component of the message is crafted to push the recipient into opening a phishing page that harvests login credentials in real time.
What makes this type of scam effective is that it imitates routine administrative notices that people expect to see from their mail provider. The email we received for analysis even adopted the name of our own domain and attempted to mimic our mail system, which is a common tactic used to bypass suspicion. The message claimed that an account password was scheduled to expire in seventy-two hours and offered a button to keep the same password. Anyone who clicks through is taken to a counterfeit login portal designed to steal access.
Because password expiry scams are deployed across every major provider and hosting platform, they pose a significant risk to individuals and organizations. They can compromise inboxes, reset accounts, expose cloud storage, enable further attacks, and give intruders access to internal systems tied to email authentication.
Table of Contents
- Password Expiry Scam
- Recognizing Password Expiry Scam Emails
- How Phishing Pages Are Created
- How Attackers Spoof Email Senders
- What Happens When Credentials Are Stolen
- What To Do If You Entered Your Password
- How To Report Password Expiry Scams
- How To Avoid Future Password Expiry Attacks
Password Expiry Scam
The password expiry scam is a credential harvesting operation built around a simple premise. A message arrives claiming that an email password is about to expire, often within a short timeframe such as seventy two hours, and the user is told that service will be interrupted unless the password is renewed or verified. The notice is designed to look like a normal system alert, which is why many users treat it as routine maintenance rather than a threat.
These emails follow a predictable structure. The sender name is crafted to resemble the recipient’s provider or organization. The content warns that access will be lost unless a button is pressed immediately. That button leads to a counterfeit login page built to capture credentials. In the message we received, the attackers stated that the passcode would expire in seventy two hours and instructed the recipient to select a button labeled “keep the same password.” The link redirected to a phishing page hosted on infrastructure commonly used for legitimate high speed delivery, which helps the message appear credible at first glance.
The password expiry scam targets every type of email environment. Business domains, shared hosting, cloud office platforms, and consumer inboxes are all affected. Major services such as Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, and Proton are frequently impersonated. Privately hosted domains are targeted as well. The wording used in these emails is intentionally broad. Terms such as mailbox, verification, renewal, and passcode allow the message to appear compatible with virtually any system.
Attackers often impersonate the recipient’s own domain to increase trust. Display names and sender fields are adjusted to resemble automated maintenance notifications. Some campaigns rely on compromised servers that allow emails to pass through filters that normally reject suspicious activity. Others use mass mailing tools configured to imitate common formatting used in corporate or hosting related alerts.
Once victims reach the phishing page, their password is captured immediately upon entry. Many kits collect attempts in real time, allowing attackers to sign in the moment the victim submits the form. Stolen credentials are used to access inboxes, reset linked accounts, search for financial correspondence, extract stored files, or attempt access to administrative dashboards. If the compromised account manages hosting services, billing systems, or internal communications, the impact can escalate quickly because one password often grants entry to multiple connected platforms.
Password expiry scams remain common because they require minimal setup and work reliably across nearly every sector. An attacker needs only a mailing list, a generic phishing kit that imitates a login panel, and a hosting service capable of serving the counterfeit page. The familiarity of password related alerts increases the likelihood that targets respond without questioning the legitimacy of the notice, which keeps this scam circulating at scale.
Recognizing Password Expiry Scam Emails
Password expiry scam emails rely on familiarity and speed. They are written to look like routine administrative notices that mailbox providers might send during scheduled maintenance. The message usually claims that the recipient’s password is about to expire and that the account will be disrupted unless immediate action is taken. This tactic works because it creates a situation where failure to respond appears to carry real consequences. Most users do not stop to question whether their provider has ever issued similar warnings in the past.
These campaigns follow a clear pattern. The wording is short and direct, the deadline is aggressive, and the call to action is positioned as the only safe response. Attackers frequently reference the recipient’s domain or display a familiar name in the sender field in order to bypass quick visual inspection.
A specific email that reached us was a good example of this behavior. The display name referenced our own domain, botcrawl.com, while the actual sending address belonged to an unrelated domain that had no connection to our infrastructure. This is a common technique used across widespread credential theft campaigns.
Although templates vary, the most notable traits appear repeatedly. The formatting tends to imitate system notifications, but the layout often feels generic. Many kits reuse the same blocks of text for different targets, which is why the messages avoid naming a specific provider. Instead, they rely on phrases that sound administrative but reveal very little about the sender’s identity. The link included in the message is usually framed as a confirmation button, presented as the only method to keep the current password or avoid a temporary lockout.
Hovering over the link often exposes the true destination. In many cases the URL leads to infrastructure that has no relationship to the email provider being impersonated. Some operators use content delivery networks or well known hosting platforms to make the link look more convincing, while others chain multiple redirections to obscure the final landing page. These technical choices are intended to convince the recipient that the notice is legitimate before any deeper inspection can occur.
Recognizing a password expiry scam becomes easier once the common signals are understood. The following traits appear consistently across nearly every campaign observed:
- Urgent notices that claim a password will expire within a specific number of hours or by the end of the day.
- A sender display name that looks legitimate, paired with a domain that does not match the actual provider.
- Messages that do not reference the real service, platform, or policy used by the recipient.
- Buttons or links that promise to keep the same password or prevent service interruption.
- Links that resolve to unrelated infrastructure, including CDNs, redirect services, or foreign domains.
- Templates that contain generic wording, inconsistencies in punctuation, or phrasing not used by the actual provider.
- Notices instructing the user to move the email out of the spam folder, which is an attempt to justify a spam flag.
- The absence of any instructions that match the provider’s established security policies.
These elements form the core structure of the password expiry scam. Each feature is carefully selected to pressure the reader into responding quickly while avoiding direct claims that could be easily disproven. Once recipients become familiar with these patterns, the messages become far easier to identify at a glance. Any unsolicited notice that demands immediate password confirmation or claims that a mailbox password expires on a fixed schedule should be treated as highly suspicious and verified independently.
How Phishing Pages Are Created
Phishing pages used in password expiry scam campaigns are built to imitate familiar login portals while capturing credentials in the background. Although some attackers design these pages from scratch, most rely on phishing kits. A phishing kit is a preassembled package that contains templates, images, HTML layouts, scripts, and instructions that allow even inexperienced operators to deploy convincing login pages in a few minutes. Kits are sold on underground forums, leaked in private channels, or traded between groups, which is why many scam pages across the internet look nearly identical.
These kits usually include adaptable templates for generic webmail interfaces, corporate inboxes, Microsoft 365 style layouts, or minimal login forms that resemble common hosting providers. The attacker selects a template and uploads it to a hosting environment. Once deployed, the page automatically loads styles, logos, and forms that closely match what users expect to see when signing in. Some kits can even adjust branding dynamically based on the domain passed in the URL, which helps the page appear customized to the target’s email provider.
Hosting for these phishing pages varies. Some attackers use a free service like Fastly who is aware of the situation, low-cost shared servers, but many prefer infrastructure that provides reliable uptime and a trusted appearance. Content delivery networks and large hosting platforms are frequently abused because their domains are familiar to users and are less likely to be blocked by filters. When a phishing page loads through a recognizable CDN, victims often assume the page is secure simply because the connection uses HTTPS and the URL begins with the domain of a respected service. Attackers take advantage of this misplaced trust.
A phishing kit typically includes a credential harvesting script that activates as soon as the user enters information into the login form. Once submitted, the credentials are forwarded to the operator through a configured channel. The most common delivery methods are email, Telegram bots, and remote API endpoints. Some kits refresh the page after submission and display an error message such as incorrect password to encourage the victim to try again. This often results in the attacker receiving both the correct login and any variations attempted.
Many modern phishing kits are designed to capture more than passwords. Some attempt to collect two factor authentication tokens immediately after the login attempt. Others are built to monitor user input in real time. These features allow attackers to sign in to the victim’s account within moments of harvesting the credentials. They can also maintain access by setting up forwarding rules or generating new app passwords before the victim realizes what happened.
Although the templates are simple, the infrastructure behind these campaigns is often layered. Attackers use redirect pages, cloaking scripts, and disposable URLs to prevent targeted takedowns. When one phishing link is disabled, the operator replaces it with another path instantly. This constant rotation makes each campaign harder to track. It also increases the likelihood that at least one active phishing page will remain online long enough to capture victims during the active phase of the password expiry scam.
The use of these kits is what allows password expiry scams to spread at large scale. A single group can send thousands of messages while recycling the same phishing page across multiple hosting services. The result is a highly consistent pattern of attacks that look different on the surface but operate in the same predictable way.
How Attackers Spoof Email Senders
Attackers spoof email senders to make password expiry scams look like legitimate account notices. These messages try to blend in with the routine alerts people expect from their email provider, such as password reminders, account maintenance messages, or mailbox status updates. Email protocols allow the visible sender name and certain headers to be manipulated, and criminals rely on this flexibility to make their messages appear trustworthy.
The simplest method is display name spoofing. The attacker keeps their real email address but changes the display name to something like “Account Support” or the domain name of the recipient’s organization. Because many users only glance at the name and not the actual address, this trick is effective in creating the appearance of an official notice.
More advanced spoofing alters the envelope sender and other header fields so the email appears to originate from the same provider the victim already uses. Attackers send through unsecured mail servers or accounts obtained during earlier compromises. This makes the email seem like a normal account alert instead of an external message.
Attackers often use publicly available information to refine their impersonation. Company websites, domain records, social media pages, and leaked contact lists help them shape believable messages. Data exposed in data breaches is especially useful, since it reveals email providers, internal naming patterns, and the exact way legitimate notifications are formatted.
Email authentication systems such as SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are designed to stop spoofing, but they do not work when they are incomplete or misconfigured. SPF records may be outdated or allow too many sending servers. DKIM signing may be disabled. DMARC may be set to monitoring instead of enforcement. Attackers take advantage of these weaknesses to slip fraudulent “account notices” through filtering.
Another tactic is domain impersonation. Instead of spoofing the real domain, attackers register a lookalike version that differs by one or two characters. These domains pass technical checks because they are legitimate registrations controlled by the scammer. When paired with a familiar display name, the small difference goes unnoticed by many users.
Spoofing works because people expect to receive account-related messages and often react quickly when something claims a password is expiring or an account needs attention. When the sender appears familiar and the message matches what a user might expect from their provider, the scam becomes much harder to spot without close inspection.
What Happens When Credentials Are Stolen
Once a victim enters their password on a phishing page, the attacker receives the information immediately. Many phishing kits forward credentials the moment they are submitted, which allows the attacker to log in within seconds. This quick access is what makes password expiry scams so dangerous. By the time a victim realizes the message was fake, the intruder may already be inside their account.
Email accounts contain far more than messages. They hold password resets, personal information, financial notifications, stored files, and access to virtually every service linked to that inbox. Most online services rely on email to verify ownership, recover accounts, or change security settings. When an attacker gains email access, the consequences extend far beyond a single login.
The first action an attacker usually takes is to sign in and review recent activity. They look for financial accounts, cloud storage, invoices, business correspondence, and anything that can be used for fraud or identity theft. If the account belongs to a business or organization, attackers search for internal documents, client information, payroll details, and other sensitive material. This information can be used for targeted fraud or sold to third parties.
Many phishing kits monitor the victim session in real time. If the victim uses two factor authentication, the attacker may prompt for the verification code under the appearance of a normal login process. Once the code is entered, the attacker can complete the login and often establish their own trusted device or recovery method. This gives them longer term access even if the victim attempts to regain control.
A compromised mailbox also provides attackers with new opportunities. They can search for stored passwords, saved notes, and messages containing personal data. They can reset passwords at banks, online shops, social media platforms, or workplace systems. The attacker can then lock the victim out entirely or quietly monitor activity without leaving obvious signs of the intrusion.
Another risk is the use of the account to attack others. Attackers often send new phishing messages from the compromised inbox. These messages appear far more credible because they come from a legitimate contact. This spreads the attack through workplaces, families, and entire mailing lists. It also increases the chance of large scale compromise.
In cases where business accounts are compromised, attackers may attempt to steal invoices, redirect payments, or stage business email compromise fraud. Even a brief period of access can expose financial data and confidential communication. Some attackers exfiltrate entire mailboxes, which allows them to examine the contents later and perform targeted fraud long after the initial incident.
The longer an attacker retains access, the higher the risk becomes. Unauthorized access can lead to identity theft, credit fraud, data exposure, further account compromises, or impersonation. Quick action is essential because every minute that passes gives the attacker more information and more control over connected services.
What To Do If You Entered Your Password
Anyone who entered their credentials on a password expiry scam page should act immediately. Attackers who operate these phishing sites often receive the submitted information in real time, which means they may already be logged in. The goal is to cut off their access as quickly as possible, secure the account, and prevent the incident from spreading into other services linked to the same inbox.
The first priority is to change the password on the affected account. This must be done from the legitimate website and not from any link inside the suspicious message. If the attacker has already logged in, changing the password may disrupt their session and force them out. After the password is changed, the victim should check for signs of unauthorized access, including unexpected login alerts, new devices, forwarding rules, or unfamiliar recovery methods.
A second priority is to secure every service connected to that email address. Attackers commonly use a compromised inbox to reset passwords elsewhere. This means banking accounts, cloud storage, social media, shopping accounts, and work systems are at risk. Reviewing security notifications and resetting passwords on important accounts helps prevent further abuse.
Two factor authentication should be enabled on the affected email account and on any other service that supports it. This adds a barrier that prevents attackers from regaining access even if they attempt to reuse the stolen password. Victims should also review their sent folder and drafts, since attackers sometimes send new phishing messages from the compromised account.
It is important to run a full device scan with reputable security software to ensure there is no additional compromise. A phishing page itself does not normally install malware, but attackers sometimes combine social engineering with malicious downloads. A trusted security product can help detect anything suspicious on the device. We recommend scanning with Malwarebytes.
Once the account is secured, the victim should contact their email provider or IT department if the address is part of a workplace or organization. Providers can check server logs, identify unusual activity, and confirm whether unauthorized access occurred. In some cases, they may temporarily lock the account or implement additional safeguards.
Steps to take immediately:
- Change the password on the affected account using the official website.
- Enable two factor authentication if available.
- Check recent logins, recovery methods, forwarding rules, and mailbox filters.
- Reset passwords on important connected accounts that may have been at risk.
- Review the sent folder for unauthorized messages.
- Scan your device with reputable security software, such as Malwarebytes.
- Notify your email provider or IT team if the account is business related.
Taking these actions quickly reduces the chance of long term damage. Even if no suspicious activity appears immediately, attackers sometimes save stolen credentials for later use, so the account should be monitored for the next several weeks.
How To Report Password Expiry Scams
Reporting password expiry scams helps limit their reach, but it must be done safely. Never open the phishing link or attempt to interact with the page. Email providers and security teams collect everything they need from the message itself, so the safest approach is to report the scam through trusted channels only.
Most major email services include a built-in phishing report option, not just one to report spam. Gmail (shown above), Outlook, Yahoo, ProtonMail, Zoho Mail, and others allow users to mark a message as phishing, which automatically forwards the necessary details to the appropriate abuse teams. This preserves all metadata and removes the need for you to inspect or hover over the malicious link.
If you use a custom domain or business email, you can forward the message to your provider’s abuse address, often formatted as abuse@example.com. Forward the message as an attachment when possible, since this keeps the full headers intact. If you work within an organization, your IT or security team should be alerted immediately so they can block the domain, update filters, and perform a controlled review.
Users should not attempt to report the phishing domain directly to unknown hosting companies, registrars, or CDNs. This is unnecessary and can introduce risk. Email services and enterprise security teams forward abuse reports through established and verified channels, ensuring the malicious site is escalated correctly without exposing you to additional contact.
If your country has a national cybercrime reporting portal, you may submit the phishing message there after notifying your provider. Examples include the FBI IC3 in the United States or the NCSC in the United Kingdom. These agencies use reports to map active phishing campaigns and support global takedown efforts.
How To Avoid Future Password Expiry Attacks
Password expiry scams continue to work because they target information attackers already have. Many victims do not realize that their email address, name, or workplace domain may have appeared in a data breach long before the phishing message reached them. Once attackers have a list of exposed addresses, they generate convincing expiry notices that appear routine and legitimate. Protecting yourself is not only about avoiding the link in front of you. It is also about understanding how and why you were targeted in the first place.
A large percentage of phishing victims appear in breach datasets that circulate on underground markets. These datasets include addresses, passwords, and metadata such as folder names, mailbox formatting, or organizational structure. This information makes scam messages look tailored to you. Staying aware of whether your email address has been exposed gives you an early warning that targeted phishing attempts are more likely.
Modern security tools now make this easier. Malwarebytes offers digital footprint scan that allow you to see if your email address and other information has been exposed. This allows you to see when passwords have leaked, which services were affected, and whether attackers may have obtained the type of information often used to build expiry scams. Other tools such as HIBP provide a simple way to check whether your address appears in publicly known breaches. Monitoring these results regularly helps you understand the risk level associated with your account and whether a sudden wave of suspicious emails is connected to a new breach.
Once you know your exposure level, avoiding future expiry attacks becomes much more practical. These steps provide real protection:
- Only sign in through the official website. If a message claims your password is expiring, open your email provider by typing the correct address into your browser. Do not interact with buttons or renewal prompts inside unsolicited messages. If an issue truly exists, the provider will display a notification after you sign in.
- Use real time web protection. Security tools such as Malwarebytes block many phishing pages before they load. This is effective even when attackers abuse CDNs, redirects, or newly registered domains.
- Use multi factor authentication wherever possible. A stolen password alone will not allow access when a second verification step is required. This prevents attackers from logging in even if they have accurate credentials from a phishing page or a breach.
- Use a password manager to maintain unique passwords. Password managers refuse to autofill on unknown or altered domains. When a login page is fraudulent, the absence of an autofill prompt becomes an immediate warning that the site is not legitimate.
- Monitor breach exposure with tools that track digital footprints. Malwarebytes Identity Protection and similar services show whether your email or password has appeared in breach datasets. Attackers rely heavily on breached information to craft expiry scams that feel authentic. Knowing your exposure helps you anticipate and recognize these attempts.
- Update old or reused passwords after receiving breach notifications. Many expiry scams are designed to pair an old leaked password with a fraudulent login page to increase credibility. Refreshing outdated passwords removes the value of breached data and lowers the success rate of targeted attacks.
- Learn how your provider communicates. Most major email providers do not send password expiry notices through email. If you do not normally receive expiry notifications and suddenly get one, treat it as suspicious until you verify the status of your account through the real website.
- Slow down when a message presents a countdown, threat of disconnection, or an urgent call to act. These tactics exist to push you past the point of careful inspection. Taking a moment to evaluate the message, check the sender, and verify the information independently prevents almost every type of expiry scam.
These steps address both sides of the problem. They protect you from the immediate scam and from the long term pattern of targeting that occurs when your information has been exposed in a data breach. Understanding your breach history and refusing to act on emails you did not expect eliminates the advantage attackers rely on. The more familiar you become with how your provider normally communicates, the easier it becomes to recognize and ignore fraudulent expiry notices, even when they look highly convincing.
