This infection is typically spread through emails sent to company email addresses that pretend to be customer support related issues from Fedex, UPS, DHS, etc. These emails would contain a zip attachment that when opened would infect the computer. These zip files contain executables that are disguised as PDF files as they have a PDF icon and are typically named something like FORM_101513.exe or FORM_101513.pdf.exe. Since Microsoft does not show extensions by default, they look like normal PDF files and people open them.
Doesn't this depend on whether your
email client (whether it's desktop-based or browser-based) shows extensions? Or are they saying that Microsoft
Outlook doesn't show extensions?
Another reason to ditch Outlook, OP.