Spotting the Trap: How to Identify Fake Quote Requests and VBScript Malware
In the digital landscape, social engineering remains one of the most effective weapons in a cybercriminal's arsenal. Recently, a sophisticated phishing campaign was intercepted targeting businesses with seemingly innocuous, yet dangerous, email communications. Masquerading as a routine Request for Quotation (RFQ), these emails are meticulously crafted to bypass casual inspection and entice recipients into executing hidden malware payloads.
At StormWarning!, we believe that education and visibility are your first lines of defense. Here is a breakdown of how this specific scam operates, why it is dangerous, and—crucially—how you can leverage AI tools like Gemini to analyze raw email headers and source code before disaster strikes.
Anatomy of a Phishing RFQ Scam
The attack typically begins with an email appearing to come from an unfamiliar external domain or a spoofed address
The Hook
The message body is deliberately vague, casual, and brief. A typical example reads:
“Good day, Please find the attached items and kindly provide your updated prices with two separate quotations, as indicated in the attached request.”
This vagueness is intentional. It preys on standard business courtesy and the desire not to miss out on a potential sales lead or customer order. Busy sales and purchasing personnel are conditioned to respond quickly to quote requests, making them prime targets.
The Payload
Instead of a standard document format like a PDF or a clean spreadsheet, the email includes an archive file—in this case, a heavily obfuscated BZ2 archive named something like IMG-20260804-WA00065- PO_VQ7316.JPG.BZ2.
Unpacking this archive reveals a deceptive file ending in a .vbs extension (VBScript). If opened, VBScript files execute directly on Windows systems, often acting as stealthy downloaders that silently pull down ransomware, remote access trojans (RATs), or info-stealing malware in the background while displaying a decoy error message.
How to Use Gemini to Inspect Email Source Code
When you receive a suspicious email, looking at the rendered text in your email client isn't enough. Threat actors hide the true nature of links, routing paths, and attachments deep inside the raw headers and MIME structures.
You can use Gemini to safely decode and analyze these technical details by following these simple steps:
- Export or Copy the Source Code: In email clients like Mozilla Thunderbird, Outlook, or webmail interfaces, look for the option to "View Source", "Show Original", or "Download Message Source (.eml)". Copy the entire block of raw text containing headers,
Received:lines, and MIME boundaries. - Feed it to Gemini: Paste the source code into a chat with Gemini with a prompt like: "Can you check the source code of this email and tell me if it contains any hidden threats or malicious attachments?"
- Review the Analysis: Gemini will parse the MIME parts (such as
Content-Type: application/octet-streamand suspicious file extensions like.vbs), check the routing authenticity, and highlight underlying threats—allowing you to identify dangerous attachments without ever downloading or opening them on your workstation.
Protect Your Business Today
Cyber threats are evolving every day, and relying on basic spam filters is no longer enough to keep your enterprise safe from targeted social engineering attacks.
Are you confident in your organization’s cybersecurity posture? Visit the StormWarning! service offering today to discover how our comprehensive threat intelligence, security assessments, and proactive defense solutions can safeguard your business against evolving digital threats.