How to identify fake "ExxonMobil" emails

What kind of email is "ExxonMobil"?

After inspecting this "ExxonMobil" email, we determined that it is fake. This spam message is presented as an invitation to form a potential business partnership. It must be emphasized that this email is not associated with the actual Exxon Mobil Corporation. The likely goal of this spam campaign is to extract sensitive information from victims.

"ExxonMobil" email scam overview

The spam email with the subject "Vendor Registration" (may vary) invites the recipient's organization to register as a vendor for a potential partnership opportunity for 2025/2026 ExxonMobil projects. Entry is open for companies worldwide. If the recipient is interested, they are instructed to email the provided address to receive the questionnaire and Expression of Interest form (also known as an Invitation To Tender [ITT]).

It must be reiterated that the information in this email is false, and this message is in no way associated with the real Exxon Mobil Corporation or any other legitimate entities.

Documents of this kind (e.g., questionnaires, EOIs/ITTs, etc.) may require submitters to provide sensitive and confidential data. The scammers behind this spam campaigns may also request additional vulnerable information, such as personally identifiable or finance-related data (e.g., passport photos/scans, ID card details, credit/debit card numbers, etc.).

Additionally, victims may be redirected to phishing websites disguised as the sign-in pages of legitimate services (e.g., emails, social media, e-commerce, money transferring, online banking, digital wallets, etc.) and tricked into disclosing their log-in credentials.

Cyber criminals may send victims infectious files intended to infiltrate trojans, ransomware, or other malware into their networks. In some instances, scammers also ask to be sent money directly for legitimate-sounding reasons like paying taxes or fees.

To summarize, by trusting a spam email like "ExxonMobil" – users may experience system infections, serious privacy issues, financial losses, and identity theft.

If you have provided your personally identifiable or finance-related information to scammers – contact the appropriate authorities without delay. And if you've entered your log-in credentials into a phishing website/file – immediately change the passwords of all possibly exposed accounts and inform their official support without delay.

Spam campaigns in general

Spam campaigns are used for a variety of nefarious purposes, including to promote various scams and to proliferate all kinds of malware.

While the widely held belief that these emails are poorly written and full of grammatical/spelling errors is not untrue, it is not always the case. This mail can be competently put together and even convincingly disguised as messages from genuine entities (e.g., companies, organizations, service providers, institutions, authorities, etc.).

"Changes To Terms Of Service And Privacy Policy", "World Tourism Organization", "Big Lotto", "Google Anniversary Award", "Online Webmail Deactivation", "European Data Protection Supervisor", "Message Restriction Activity", "Maja Hoffmann Donation", "Capital One - Unlock Your Account Access", and "Payment Has Been Remitted Into Your Account" are just some of our articles on spam emails.

Due to how widespread spam mail is and how well-crafted it can be – we highly recommend exercising caution with incoming emails, DMs/PMs, SMSes, and other messages.

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Spam campaigns spread malware by distributing virulent files as attachments or download links. These files can be documents (PDF, Microsoft Office, Microsoft OneNote, etc.), archives (ZIP, RAR, etc.), executables (EXE, RUN, etc.), JavaScript, and so forth.

Malware infiltration processes are triggered once a malicious file is opened. However, some formats require additional actions to initiate the infection chain. For example, Microsoft Office files need users to enable macro commands (i.e., editing/content), while OneNote documents require them to click on embedded links or files.

How to avoid installation of malware?

We strongly advise vigilance with incoming emails and other messages. Attachments or links present in dubious/irrelevant communications must not be opened, as they can be harmful or infectious.

It must be mentioned that malware is not spread exclusively through spam campaigns. Therefore, we recommend caution when browsing since the Internet is full of deceptive and dangerous content.

Another recommendation is to download only from official and verified sources. Software must be activated and updated using functions/tools provided by legitimate developers, as illegal activation ("cracking") tools and third-party updates can contain malware.

It is paramount for device integrity and user safety to have a reputable antivirus installed and kept updated. Security programs must be used to perform regular system scans and to remove detected threats and issues. If you've already opened malicious attachments, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate infiltrated malware.

Text presented in the "ExxonMobil" spam email letter:

Subject: Vendor Registration

Dear Sir/Madam

We are pleased to invite your esteemed organization to register as a vendor and explore
potential partnership opportunities for the upcoming ExxonMobil projects scheduled for
2025/2026. These projects are open to all qualified companies around the world.

If your company is interested in participating, please confirm by requesting our Vendor
Questionnaire and Expression of Interest (EOI) forms via email at enroll@exxonvendormy.com

We look forward to your prompt response to this exclusive opportunity.

Best regards,
Farahiyah Jumilis.
Project Coordinator
Vendor Registration Unit

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Quick menu:

• What is "ExxonMobil" spam email?
• Types of malicious emails.
• How to spot a malicious email?
• What to do if you fell for an email scam?

Types of malicious emails:

Phishing Emails

Most commonly, cybercriminals use deceptive emails to trick Internet users into giving away their sensitive private information, for example, login information for various online services, email accounts, or online banking information.

Such attacks are called phishing. In a phishing attack, cybercriminals usually send an email message with some popular service logo (for example, Microsoft, DHL, Amazon, Netflix), create urgency (wrong shipping address, expired password, etc.), and place a link which they hope their potential victims will click on.

After clicking the link presented in such email message, victims are redirected to a fake website that looks identical or extremely similar to the original one. Victims are then asked to enter their password, credit card details, or some other information that gets stolen by cybercriminals.

Emails with Malicious Attachments

Another popular attack vector is email spam with malicious attachments that infect users' computers with malware. Malicious attachments usually carry trojans that are capable of stealing passwords, banking information, and other sensitive information.

In such attacks, cybercriminals' main goal is to trick their potential victims into opening an infected email attachment. To achieve this goal, email messages usually talk about recently received invoices, faxes, or voice messages.

If a potential victim falls for the lure and opens the attachment, their computers get infected, and cybercriminals can collect a lot of sensitive information.

While it's a more complicated method to steal personal information (spam filters and antivirus programs usually detect such attempts), if successful, cybercriminals can get a much wider array of data and can collect information for a long period of time.

Sextortion Emails

This is a type of phishing. In this case, users receive an email claiming that a cybercriminal could access the webcam of the potential victim and has a video recording of one's masturbation.

To get rid of the video, victims are asked to pay a ransom (usually using Bitcoin or another cryptocurrency). Nevertheless, all of these claims are false - users who receive such emails should ignore and delete them.

How to spot a malicious email?

While cyber criminals try to make their lure emails look trustworthy, here are some things that you should look for when trying to spot a phishing email:

• Check the sender's ("from") email address: Hover your mouse over the "from" address and check if it's legitimate. For example, if you received an email from Microsoft, be sure to check if the email address is @microsoft.com and not something suspicious like @m1crosoft.com, @microsfot.com, @account-security-noreply.com, etc.
• Check for generic greetings: If the greeting in the email is "Dear user", "Dear @youremail.com", "Dear valued customer", this should raise suspiciousness. Most commonly, companies call you by your name. Lack of this information could signal a phishing attempt.
• Check the links in the email: Hover your mouse over the link presented in the email, if the link that appears seems suspicious, don't click it. For example, if you received an email from Microsoft and the link in the email shows that it will go to firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0... you shouldn't trust it. It's best not to click any links in the emails but to visit the company website that sent you the email in the first place.
• Don't blindly trust email attachments: Most commonly, legitimate companies will ask you to log in to their website and to view any documents there; if you received an email with an attachment, it's a good idea to scan it with an antivirus application. Infected email attachments are a common attack vector used by cybercriminals.

To minimise the risk of opening phishing and malicious emails we recommend using Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows. 

Example of a spam email:

What to do if you fell for an email scam?

• If you clicked on a link in a phishing email and entered your password - be sure to change your password as soon as possible. Usually, cybercriminals collect stolen credentials and then sell them to other groups that use them for malicious purposes. If you change your password in a timely manner, there's a chance that criminals won't have enough time to do any damage.
• If you entered your credit card information - contact your bank as soon as possible and explain the situation. There's a good chance that you will need to cancel your compromised credit card and get a new one.
• If you see any signs of identity theft - you should immediately contact the Federal Trade Commission. This institution will collect information about your situation and create a personal recovery plan.
• If you opened a malicious attachment - your computer is probably infected, you should scan it with a reputable antivirus application. For this purpose, we recommend using  Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows.
• Help other Internet users - report phishing emails to Anti-Phishing Working Group, FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, National Fraud Information Center and U.S. Department of Justice.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Why did I receive this email?

Spam emails are not personal, even if they include information relevant to the recipients. Cyber criminals distribute these messages by the thousand with the hopes that at least some recipients will fall for their scams.

I have provided my personal information when tricked by this spam email, what should I do?

If you have provided your log-in credentials – change the passwords of all potentially exposed accounts and inform their official support without delay. However, if you have disclosed other private information (e.g., ID card details, passport scans, credit card numbers, etc.) – immediately contact relevant authorities.

I have read a spam email but didn't open the attachment, is my computer infected?

Reading an email does not pose an infection threat; systems are infected when malicious attachments or links are opened/clicked.

I have downloaded and opened a file attached to a spam email, is my computer infected?

File formats may influence infection success rates. Once opened, executables cause infections almost without fail. However, some formats – like documents – might need additional interaction. In these cases, the infection is triggered after macros are enabled, embedded content is clicked, or other actions are performed.

Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections present in email attachments?

Combo Cleaner is designed to scan systems and eliminate all kinds of threats. It can detect and remove practically all known malware infections. Note that performing a full system scan is essential since high-end malicious programs tend to hide deep within systems.