- Popular
- Most Talked-About

Online Threat Alerts

An anti-cybercrime community alerting the public to web threats.

Online Threat Alerts»

Beware of "Microsoft Account Security Re-activation" Phishing Email Scams

Updated: December 2, 2016 2016-12-02T07:58:06 -
Posted: December 2, 2016 2016-12-02T07:55:02
Views: 3,861
Comments: 4

The email message below with subject: "Microsoft Account Security Re-activation," which claims support on the recipients' Microsoft Outlook accounts will be discontinue, is a phishing scam created to steal Microsoft Hotmail,Live or Outlook user names and passwords. The email message was not sent by Microsoft, but by cyber-criminals, whose intentions are to gain access to the potential victims' accounts by hijacking them, and then using them fraudulently.

Please continue reading below.

A Sample of the "Microsoft Account Security Re-activation" Phishing Email

From: Microsoft account team wenyuanke@gmail.com
Sent: Thursday, December 1, 2016 7:56 AM
Subject: Microsoft Account Security Re-activation

Dear Email User,

This is to inform you that on 2nd December, 2016, Microsoft Outlook will discontinue support on your account and security.

If you choose not to update your account on or before 5th December, 2016, you will not be able to read and send emails, and you will no longer have access to many of the latest features for improved, conversations, contacts and attachments.

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

Update Your Account

Thanks,

The link in the email message goes to a fake Microsoft Hotmail website, which will attempt to trick the 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, the information will be sent to the cyber-criminals behind the email scam, who will use the information to hijack the victims' accounts.

If you receive email messages like these, please go directly to your email account instead of clicking on the links in the email messages. If there is anything wrong with your account or something needs to be done to it, it will be shown to you after you have signed into your account. If you were tricked by one of these malicious phishing scams, please change your Hotmail, Live or 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.

Comments, Questions and 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. And, when you post a comment or review, 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.

Aug 16, 2018 at 10:51 AM by info
Here is another scam:

"From: Msn Team <record01@msn.com>
Date: August 15, 2018 at 4:18:54 AM EDT
Subject: Account Security Re-activation™

Server Message

Dear User,

Your account with us is outdated and in spam list, for your own safety kindly update and verify your email account.

Continue

Failure to continue with verification will lead to mail malfunction, lost of files and final termination.

Thanks,
Mail Team.

FINAL WARNING - UPDATE AND VERIFY YOUR ACCOUNT!"
delete
Jun 11, 2018 at 2:05 PM by an anonymous user from Ilford, England, United Kingdom
Was sent this and fell for, it looked genuine:

"We have recently upgraded all our customer e-mail addresses to Outlook.com. Due to this, your Hotmail account needs to be re-activated.

You can do this by just simply logging in on the link below:

https://accounts.live.com/activate-outlook/Outlook-user-id-#qmlhwpdrlbubg-qhmwlmi/

If your e-mail account is not activated within 2 working days it may expire.

This is a compulsory process that affects all our customers."
delete
Apr 6, 2018 at 1:10 PM by info
Here is another scam:

"From: Mail Team <aragon_17@msn.com>
Sent: Thursday, April 5, 2018 8:28 PM
Subject: Account Security Re-activation™

Dear Email User,

This is to inform you that on 9th April, 2018, Microsoft Outlook will discontinue support on your account and security.

If you choose not to update your account on or before 16th April, 2018, you will not be able to read and send emails, and you will no longer have access to many of the latest features for improved, conversations, contacts and attachments.
Take a minute to update your account for a faster, safer and full-featured Microsoft Outlook experience.

Update Your Account

Thanks,
Outlook Team."
delete
Feb 20, 2017 at 10:44 AM by info
Here is another scam:

-- phishing scam --
"From: Outlook Team [clidna@hotmail.com]
Sent: Monday, 20 February 2017 11:44 p.m.
Subject: Microsoft Account Security Re-activation™

Dear Email User,

This is to inform you that on 24th February, 2017, Microsoft Outlook will discontinue support on your account and security.

If you choose not to update your account on or before 27th February, 2017, you will not be able to read and send emails, and you will no longer have access to many of the latest features for improved, conversations, contacts and attachments.
Take a minute to update your account for a faster, safer and full-featured Microsoft Outlook experience.

Update Your Account

Thanks,
Outlook.com Team"
delete

Show More Comments (4)

Show all

Write Your Comment, Question 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.