The email message below: "Unblock Microsoft Account Security Alert," which claims the recipients' Microsoft accounts may have been accessed by someone and they need to verify their identity with a security challenge, and then change their passwords the next time they sign in, is a phishing scam. The phishing or fake email message was sent by cyber-criminals, whose intentions are to steal their their victims' email accounts username and password. Once the cyber-criminals have gotten their potential victims' email account credentials, they will use it to hijack their accounts and use the accounts for malicious purposes. So, recipients of the same email message are advised not to follow the instructions in it, and should instead, delete it.
The Phishing Microsoft Email Message
Subject: Unblock Microsoft Account Security Alert!!
Date: Thu, 28 Jan 2016 04:46:15 +0000
Microsoft account
Security alert
We think that someone else might have accessed your Microsoft account . When this happens, we require you to verify your identity with a security challenge and then change your password the next time you sign in.
If someone else has access to your account, they have your password and might be trying to access your personal information or send junk email.
If you haven't already recovered your account, we can help you do it now.
Recover account
Learn how to make your account more secure.
Thanks,
The Microsoft account team
The link in the email message goes to a fake Hotmail, 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 signing into account. If you were tricked by the phishing email, please change your Microsoft Hotmail/Live/Outlook immediately. If you are unable to, click here to report it to Microsoft.
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