“This message was sent to you using the DocuSign Service” email scam (fake) - Free Guide

What is “This message was sent to you using the DocuSign Service” email scam?

“This message was sent to you using the DocuSign Service” – a fake email you might receive from fraudsters who are trying to steal your credentials or other personal data

“This message was sent to you using the DocuSign Service” is an e-mail scam targeted at users, masquerading as the popular electronic signature platform, DocuSign. These phishing emails try to trick targets into clicking on malicious links or downloading attachments.

By abusing the trust of people in popular services like DocuSign, cybercriminals have a target to steal personal information or infect devices with malware in an attempt to conduct phishing and other similar financial fraud. These emails look just like they could be legitimate; DocuSign's branding and familiar subject lines are often used, making it really hard for the average user to identify the scam at first glance.

Engineering of “This message was sent to you using the DocuSign Service” scam: how to recognize red flags

The “This message was sent to you using the DocuSign Service” scam represents another classic example of a phishing attack, by which cybercriminals try to leverage the good reputation of the target brand, in this case DocuSign, to steal sensitive information or infect computers with malware.

These phishing e-mails would spoof any appearance and/or language which would appear as officially distributed by DocuSign in an attempt to mislead unaware targets into divulging such information. Of course, DocuSign isn't the only victim; various successful campaigns involved much more popular brands: Netflix, Amazon, Microsoft, and PayPal are in vogue recently.

Attackers commonly combine a number of devious tactics, such as spoofed email addresses, misleading subject lines, and manipulative content, to deceive users into clicking on malicious links or opening malicious attachments. We will now dissect each part of a typical scam email to show you the red flags to look out for.

1. Sender's email address

The first red flag to spot when dealing with scam emails will be the sender's email address. Real DocuSign emails will appear to come from a domain like @docusign.com, but the spammers fake such an address to lend some authenticity to their emails.

They may create slightly imperfect copies of or use unauthorized variations of the official domain, for instance, @docusigndocs.com, @docusignservice.com, or @docu-sign.com. Due to this mere subtlety, it is possible that such changes might easily go unnoticed, especially when email appears to be from some apparently official source.

The attacker is relying on the might of recipient trust for DocuSign and as such will try to make the email look slightly legit on first glance. They can use only such slight variations to the email address that the more careless people start to open it out of trust. So, if not taken into close account for some rationale, the curbing those conventions means a much higher chance of the spoof feeling somewhat real and having the user open it.

2. Subject line

The subject line is another critical element of these phishing emails, designed to capture attention and create urgency. Common subject lines include phrases like:

• “Message Sent Using DocuSign Service”
• “Invoice from DocuSign”
• “Please Sign Your Document”
• “Action Required: Document Pending Review”

These subject lines are intended to raise curiosity for an immediate action. The presence of words like “urgent,” “invoice,” and “action required” makes it sound important, and therefore the victim may rush to open the email without much thought. Many are also familiar with DocuSign as a trusted electronic signature service, making them more likely to believe the email's legitimacy.

3. Email content and structure

Once the recipient opens the email, the content is carefully crafted to deceive them. Typically, the email will inform the recipient that they have a document that requires their signature or attention. The email may include a message similar to:

• “You have received a document to review and sign.”
• “Please review and sign the attached document.”
• “Your signature is needed to finalize the agreement.”

The body of the email often includes a call to action in the form of a button or link, such as “View Document” or “Sign Now.” In some cases, there may also be an attachment claiming to be the document, often in PDF or ZIP format.

It was crafted in such a manner to make the target feel they are losing an important job-a contract that has to be signed or some document reviewed. Using the principles of social engineering-urgency and authority in particular-the scammers here seek to force the recipient to take an action as fast as possible. Because DocuSign is a valid service used by both businesses and individuals across the globe, the email's content makes use of the brand recognition to create trust in this scam.

4. Suspicious Links and Buttons

One of the most critical elements of this scam is the links or buttons included in the email. These links usually lead to fake DocuSign websites designed to look identical to the official DocuSign login page. The user is prompted to log in to access the document, but doing so will allow the scammers to capture their credentials.

These cybercriminals expect the recipient to click that link blindly, thinking it is actually a DocuSign webpage. Once the victim puts in their details, these fraudsters get into the account, which may include sensitive documents or even payment information. Sometimes such a link may lead users to a malware-laden website, which will then install the malicious software on the user's device.

Always hover your mouse over the link (without clicking) to check the actual URL. In many cases, the URL will be different from the legitimate DocuSign domain. Also, pay attention to spelling or missing letters in the URL—this is often a clear indicator of a phishing attempt.

5. Attachments and file types

Some versions of this phishing email contain attachments, which may appear to be documents that require urgent attention or review. These are normally PDFs, Word, or ZIP attachments containing the supposed document to be signed or reviewed.

Infection by malware or ransomware through malicious attachments is one of the favorite methods used in scams. Sometimes, simply opening the attachments can automatically execute malicious code on the user's machineries. The email will urge the user to open the attachment right away, thereby instilling a sense of urgency in the user as well.

Be wary of unsolicited attachments. This is especially important for emails that you did not expect any documents from DocuSign. When the need arises, any infected attachment needs to be scanned with a current antivirus program or before opening it.

6. Grammar and language

While DocuSign’s official emails are professionally written, scam emails often contain spelling and grammatical errors, awkward phrasing, or unusual formatting. For example, you might find sentences like “Kindly review your document urgently” or “Click on below link to sign” in a phishing email.

Most of the time, scammers make careless mistakes in grammar, spelling, and punctuation; most people do not notice them because they may be blind to the urgency of the message. However, these mistakes should raise a red flag in your mind and arouse your suspicion that this email is forged.

Reread the message carefully for signs of unnatural language, such as grammar problems, unusual sentence structure, and misspellings. For common sense, if it looks in any way, shape, or form amusing, it should be anyway better to be on the more conservative side.

What to do if you have fallen for the “DocuSign Service” scam

During this process, the first thing to do is to change all passwords that were possibly compromised. Begin with DocuSign itself, followed by every other account that shares the same username-password combination. Use two-factor authentication wherever possible. If credit card information was provided, call the bank or credit card company to initiate a fraud investigation immediately.

Then do a malware scan on your computer by using either SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes. This will identify and remove malicious software that could have been installed during this scam. If you suspect that the malware corrupted your system files, you would use FortectIntego to repair the damage and return your system to a normal state.

Finally, keep your eyes open to see that no further odd activity is recorded on your accounts. If you find anything suspicious, immediately report it to the service providers concerned.