Outlook Phishing Scam - "Final Warning (Account Will Be Closed) "

Updated: April 4, 2015 2015-04-04T10:42:43 -
Posted: April 1, 2015 2015-04-01T20:40:47
Views: 7,602
Comments: 4

The email message below with subject: "Final Warning (Account Will Be Closed)," or "Your Account Will Be Blocked! " is a phishing scam designed to steal Microsoft Hotmail/Live/Outlook user names and passwords. The email message was not sent by Microsoft, but by cyber-criminals, whose intentions are to hijack email accounts and use them for malicious purposes. So, recipients of the same email message are advised to delete and do not follow the instructions in it.

Please continue reading below.

The Phishing Microsoft Outlook Email

From: member_services0000000 @outlook.com

Subject: FINAL WARNING (ACCOUNT WILL BE CLOSED)

Your Account Will Be Blocked!

Your Account will Expire on Friday, April 3 - - 2015

If you would like to continue using your Email Address,

RE-ACTIVATE YOUR ACCOUNT NOW!!

YOU WILL LOSE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IF YOU DO NOT UPGRADE YOUR ACCOUNT.

UPGRADE IS FREE OFF CHARGE.

Thanks.

Microsoft! Inc ©2015 All Rights Reserved"

The link in the email message goes to a fake Outlook or Microsoft website, which will attempt to trick the cyber-criminals' potential victims into entering their usernames and passwords on it.

If the potential victims enter their Microsoft Outlook, Hotmail, Live usernames and passwords on the fake website, it will be sent to the cyber-criminals behind the email scam, who will use the information to hijack their accounts.

If you have received the same email message, please go directly to your email account instead of clicking on the links in the email message. And, if there is anything wrong with your account, it will be shown to you after you have signed in.

If you were tricked by the phishing email, please change your Hotmail/Live/Outlook immediately. If you are unable to, click here to report it to Microsoft.

This scam is similar to the following:

Note: Some of the names, addresses, email addresses and telephone numbers in email samples on this website may have been impersonated.

Please share what you know or ask a question about this article by leaving a comment below. Also, check the comment section below for additional information, if there is any.

Remember to forward suspicious, malicious, or phishing email messages to us at the following email address: info@onlinethreatalerts.com

Also, report missing persons, scams, untrustworthy, or fraudulent websites to us. Tell us why you consider the websites untrustworthy or fraudulent.

If you want to quickly find answers to your questions, use our search engine.

You can help maintain Online Threat Alerts by paying a service fee. Click here to make payment.

Comments, Questions, Answers, or Reviews

(Total: 4)

To help protect your privacy, please do not post or remove, your full name, telephone number, email address, username, password, account number, credit card information, home address or other sensitive information in or from your comments, questions, or reviews. Also, anonymous posts cannot be deleted or edited, and when you make a post, we will use your IP address to display your approximate location to other users.

Please continue reading below.

The comments or reviews below do not necessarily reflect the views of Online Threat Alerts.

Apr 17, 2017 at 6:20 PM by an anonymous user from Portland, Oregon, United States
I have received the message today April 17,2017.

It does give a return address E-mail Alert <avinashkayastha@hotmail.com> and a click to address that we have ignored.
It goes on to say we have exceeded 1 gig and will not send or recieve till it is fixed.
remove
Mar 28, 2017 at 1:14 PM by info
Here is another scam:

--start of scam --
寄件者: Outlook© <dd443@uowmail.edu.au>
寄件日期: 2017年3月28日下午 02:18
收件者: no_reply@outlook.office.com
主旨: 🔔FINAL**WARNING**YOUR ACCOUNT WILL BE CLOSED

Dear User,

Since the data subscription issues, the majority of your incoming messages are pending,

Please click here to solve this problem.

96% Usage Amount
4% of the remaining unused volumes.

sincere regards,
(C) 2017"
--end of scam --
remove
Mar 22, 2017 at 7:56 PM by info
Here is another new version of the scam:

"From: Mlcrosoft Security Center lorela_garuli@hotmail.com
Sent: Wednesday, 22 March 2017 2:04 AM
Subject: Final Warning!!!Your Account will Expire, thursday,March 23/2017

Dear Microsoft Account Holder,

Your Account Will Be Blocked!
Your Account will Expire, thursday,March 23/2017
If you would like to continue using your Email Address.

YOU WILL LOSE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IF YOU DO NOT UPGRADE YOUR ACCOUNT.UPGRADE IS FREE

Thanks.
Microsoft service provider ! ©2017 All Rights Reserved"
remove
Sep 7, 2016 at 9:36 PM by an anonymous user from New Delhi, National Capital Territory of Delhi, India
This message that I have received today:

"Dear Outlook.com User,
we’re updating the Microsoft Services Agreement and the Microsoft Privacy Statement. We want to take this opportunity to notify you about these updates for your safety.

If you do not update your Microsoft account within 24 hours your account will be deactivated and deleted from our server and you will no longer have access to many of the outlook.com features for improved Conversations.

Take a minute to update your account for a faster, safer and full-featured Microsoft Outlook experience and to avoid your account being De-Activated.

Update Your Account

Do not fail to update
Thank you for using Microsoft services.

Microsoft respects your privacy. To learn more, please read our Privacy Statement.

Microsoft respects your privacy. To learn more, please read our Privacy Statement.

Microsoft Corporation
One Microsoft Way
Redmond, WA 98052"
remove

Show More Comments (4)

Show all

Write Your Comment, Question, Answer, or Review

Write your comment, question or review in the box below to share what you know or to get answers. Please revisit after an hour or more to view reponses or answers to you questions.

Your comment, question or review will be posted as an anonymous user because you are not signed in. Sign-in.