"Email Deactivation - Verify Your Email Address" Microsoft Phishing Scam

The email message below with the subject: "Email Deactivation - Verify Your Email Address," which claims that the recipients' Microsoft account will be deactivated and subsequently closed down if they do not verify and update their accounts' information, is a phishing scam created to steal Microsoft 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.

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Email Deactivation - Verify Your Email Address Microsoft Phishing Scam

The Phishing Microsoft Email Message

From: outlook team service@teamcenter. onmicrosoft.com
Date: 6 Jun 2016 19:56
Subject: Email Deactivation
Verify your email address

Dear User,

Our record indicates your account is not updated, which may lead to the close down of your account.

Please visit the link Verify Now to avoid the close down of your account and keep enjoying our services

Sincerely,
Microsoft Team

Microsoft Corporation | One Yahoo Way Redmond, WA 98052-6399

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 signing in. 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.

This scam is similar to the following:

Check the comment section below for additional information, share what you know, or ask a question about this article by leaving a comment below. And, to quickly find answers to your questions, use our search Search engine.

Note: Some of the information in samples on this website may have been impersonated or spoofed.

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Comments, Questions, Answers, or Reviews

Comments (Total: 16)

To protect your privacy, please remove sensitive or identifiable information from your comments, questions, or reviews. We will use your IP address to display your approximate location to other users when you make a post. That location is not enough to find you.

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September 25, 2018 at 12:45 PM by
"Email Deactivation - Verify Your Email Address" Microsoft Phishing Scam
info

Here is another scam:

"From: Outlook- Team-Admin <mero_mega2006@hotmail.com>

Sent: 25 September 2018 04:04

To: USER@T-ONLINE.DE

Subject: Mail Deactivation

MailBox De-activation ©

We are doing a spam verification survey, which your e-mail account was listed and has recently not been updated, verify your account to help us secure your account better.

Verify Your Account

Thanks.

Adrnin! ©2018 All Rights Reserved

This email was generated with reference no. 27916310

This is an automated message replies cannot be answered"

Delete

August 9, 2018 at 8:19 AM by
"Email Deactivation - Verify Your Email Address" Microsoft Phishing Scam
an anonymous user from: Tucker, Georgia, United States

Here is another scam:

"Hotmail Team <no-reply.vmgqvthm@mcrosoft.com>

Thu 8/9/2018, 5:30 AM

Microsoft account

Account Security Alert

Dear xxxx

Please note that as of August 09, 2018, 01:30 AM we are updating the Microsoft Services Agreement, We’re making these updates to ensure the safety of your Microsoft account. We recommend you to confirm your account to avoid deactivation.

Verify Your Account

Thanks,

Microsoft"

Delete

June 12, 2018 at 1:49 PM by
"Email Deactivation - Verify Your Email Address" Microsoft Phishing Scam
info

Here is another scam:

"From: IT Admin. <IT_noreply@>

Sent: Friday, June 8, 2018 7:40 AM

Subject: CONFIRM EMAIL DE-ACTIVATION

Inline image 2

EMAIL DE-ACTIVATION

Our record indicates that you recently made a request to shutdown your email and this request will be processed shortly.

If this request was made accidentally and you have no knowledge of it, you are advised to cancel using STOP below.

Dear rob, are you sure you want shutdown email?

Email:

Date/Time:

Administrator:

6/8/2018 7:40:08 a.m.

CANCEL REQUEST

However, if you do not STOP this request, your account will be blocked and all your email data will be lost permanently.

We and appreciate your assistance in helping us maintain the integrity of the entire system. Thank you for being our customer.

Copyright © 2018

All rights reserved."

Delete

January 10, 2018 at 1:54 PM by
"Email Deactivation - Verify Your Email Address" Microsoft Phishing Scam
an anonymous user from: Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada

Thanks for the warning

Delete

December 8, 2017 at 6:10 PM by
"Email Deactivation - Verify Your Email Address" Microsoft Phishing Scam
an anonymous user from: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Thank you for the warning. I just received a notice saying I needed to take immediate action or my hotmail account would be permanently deactivated. I was concerned but glad I thought to check.

Thanks for the scam warnings

Delete

October 20, 2017 at 10:02 AM by
"Email Deactivation - Verify Your Email Address" Microsoft Phishing Scam
info

Here is another scam:

"From: Microsoft account team [mailto:seasons-restaurant@btconnect.com]

Sent: 19 October 2017 15:55

Subject: Microsoft Updates Term of Uses and Privacy Policy Statement.

Office 365 Microsoft

Verify your email address

Dear,

Our record indicates your account is not updated, which may lead to the close down of your account.

Please visit the link Verify Now to avoid the close down of your account and keep enjoying our services

Sincerely,

The Microsoft Active Directory Team

Microsoft Corporation | One Microsoft Way Redmond, WA 98052-6399"

Delete

October 6, 2017 at 1:51 AM by
"Email Deactivation - Verify Your Email Address" Microsoft Phishing Scam
an anonymous user from: Zejtun, Iz-Zejtun, Malta

I received this email at work and I have deleted it:

"Microsoft Office Account Team <notification@emailsupport.com>

Attention

This is a courtesy notice that you are nearing your maximum email storage limit.

Your Office365 account would be blocked from sending and receiving emails

if your Microsoft account *** is not verified with in 48hrs.

You will not be able to send or receive new mail until you upgrade your email quota.

You are advised to visit our verification portal below and re-login to effect the change.

Click here to continue

*Important:

In general, domestic data usage will be reflected within 48 hours.

Thanks,

2017 Microsoft Office 365"

Delete

September 26, 2017 at 12:01 PM by
"Email Deactivation - Verify Your Email Address" Microsoft Phishing Scam
tmazz21 from: Brampton, Ontario, Canada

Lately, when I change my password and reboot my computer my laptop pops up with a message from the mailer server to reenter my password.

Question to you,

Is it possible that the hackers have gotten inside my setup and have the Mailer server message popup whenever I change my password on outlook?

I never noticed this happening a few months back, this is only something that's been happening the past month or two. Maybe it's part of the new updates?

Delete

September 26, 2017 at 12:10 PM by
"Email Deactivation - Verify Your Email Address" Microsoft Phishing Scam
info

That is normal. Outlook will pop up and prompt you to enter your new password when you change your email account's password. This is because it will not be able to gain access to your account with the old password.

Delete

September 21, 2017 at 8:47 PM by
"Email Deactivation - Verify Your Email Address" Microsoft Phishing Scam
an anonymous user from: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

I have received an email like the people below, and I gave them my EMAIL ONLY, to stop them deactivating my email address and to shut it down completely.

I have not given out any Passwords and I realise they already had my email address as they sent me this letter.

Question: are my emails still safe from them? Is any further action required to protect my accounts.

Delete

Write Your Comment, Question, Answer, or Review

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Online Threat Alerts Security Tips

Pay the safest way

Credit cards are the safest way to pay for online purchases because you can dispute the charges if you never get the goods or services or if the offer was misrepresented. Federal law limits your liability to $50 if someone makes unauthorized charges to your account, and most credit card issuers will remove them completely if you report the problem promptly.

Guard your personal information

In any transaction you conduct, make sure to check with your state or local consumer protection agency and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to see if the seller, charity, company, or organization is credible. Be especially wary if the entity is unfamiliar to you. Always call the number found on a website’s contact information to make sure the number legitimately belongs to the entity you are dealing with.

Be careful of the information you share

Never give out your codes, passwords or personal information, unless you are sure of who you're dealing with

Know who you’re dealing with

Crooks pretending to be from companies you do business with may call or send an email, claiming they need to verify your personal information. Don’t provide your credit card or bank account number unless you are actually paying for something and know who you are sending payment to. Your social security number should not be necessary unless you are applying for credit. Be especially suspicious if someone claiming to be from a company with whom you have an account asks for information that the business already has.

Check your accounts

Regularly check your account transactions and report any suspicious or unauthorised transactions.

Don’t believe promises of easy money

If someone claims that you can earn money with little or no work, get a loan or credit card even if you have bad credit, or make money on an investment with little or no risk, it’s probably a scam. Oftentimes, offers that seem too good to be true, actually are too good to be true.

Do not open email from people you don’t know

If you are unsure whether an email you received is legitimate, try contacting the sender directly via other means. Do not click on any links in an email unless you are sure it is safe.

Think before you click

If an email or text message looks suspicious, don’t open any attachments or click on the links.

Verify urgent requests or unsolicited emails, messages or phone calls before you respond

If you receive a message or a phone call asking for immediate action and don't know the sender, it could be a phishing message.

Be careful with links and new website addresses

Malicious website addresses may appear almost identical to legitimate sites. Scammers often use a slight variation in spelling or logo to lure you. Malicious links can also come from friends whose email has unknowingly been compromised, so be careful.

Secure your personal information

Before providing any personal information, such as your date of birth, Social Security number, account numbers, and passwords, be sure the website is secure.

Stay informed on the latest cyber threats

Keep yourself up to date on current scams by visiting this website daily.

Use Strong Passwords

Strong passwords are critical to online security.

Keep your software up to date and maintain preventative software programs

Keep all of your software applications up to date on your computers and mobile devices. Install software that provides antivirus, firewall, and email filter services.

Update the operating systems on your electronic devices

Make sure your operating systems (OSs) and applications are up to date on all of your electronic devices. Older and unpatched versions of OSs and software are the target of many hacks. Read the CISA security tip on Understanding Patches and Software Updates for more information.

What if You Got Scammed?

Stop Contact With The Scammer

Hang up the phone. Do not reply to emails, messages, or letters that the scammer sends. Do not make any more payments to the scammer. Beware of additional scammers who may contact you claiming they can help you get your lost money back.

Secure Your Finances

  • Report potentially compromised bank account, credit or debit card information to your financial institution(s) immediately. They may be able to cancel or reverse fraudulent transactions.
  • Notify the three major credit bureaus. They can add a fraud alert to warn potential credit grantors that you may be a victim of identity theft. You may also want to consider placing a free security freeze on your credit report. Doing so prevents lenders and others from accessing your credit report entirely, which will prevent them from extending credit:

Check Your Computer

If your computer was accessed or otherwise affected by a scam, check to make sure that your anti-virus is up-to-date and running and that your system is free of malware and keylogging software. You may also need to seek the help of a computer repair company. Consider utilizing the Better Business Bureau’s website to find a reputable company.

Change Your Account Passwords

Update your bank, credit card, social media, and email account passwords to try to limit further unauthorized access. Make sure to choose strong passwords when changing account passwords.

Report The Scam

Reporting helps protect others. While agencies can’t always track down perpetrators of crimes against scammers, they can utilize the information gathered to record patterns of abuse which may lead to action being taken against a company or industry.

Report your issue to the following agencies based on the nature of the scam:

  • Local Law Enforcement: Consumers are encouraged to report scams to their local police department or sheriff’s office, especially if you lost money or property or had your identity compromised.
  • Federal Trade Commission: Contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357) or use the Online Complaint Assistant to report various types of fraud, including counterfeit checks, lottery or sweepstakes scams, and more.
  • Identitytheft.gov: If someone is using your personal information, like your Social Security, credit card, or bank account number, to open new accounts, make purchases, or get a tax refund, report it at www.identitytheft.gov. This federal government site will also help you create your Identity Theft Report and a personal recovery plan based on your situation. Questions can be directed to 877-ID THEFT.

How To Recognize a Phishing Scam

Scammers use email or text messages to try to steal your passwords, account numbers, or Social Security numbers. If they get that information, they could get access to your email, bank, or other accounts. Or they could sell your information to other scammers. Scammers launch thousands of phishing attacks like these every day — and they’re often successful.

Scammers often update their tactics to keep up with the latest news or trends, but here are some common tactics used in phishing emails or text messages:

Phishing emails and text messages often tell a story to trick you into clicking on a link or opening an attachment. You might get an unexpected email or text message that looks like it’s from a company you know or trust, like a bank or a credit card or utility company. Or maybe it’s from an online payment website or app. The message could be from a scammer, who might

  • say they’ve noticed some suspicious activity or log-in attempts — they haven’t
  • claim there’s a problem with your account or your payment information — there isn’t
  • say you need to confirm some personal or financial information — you don’t
  • include an invoice you don’t recognize — it’s fake
  • want you to click on a link to make a payment — but the link has malware
  • say you’re eligible to register for a government refund — it’s a scam
  • offer a coupon for free stuff — it’s not real

About Online Threat Alerts (OTA)

Online Threat Alerts or OTA is an anti-cybercrime community that started in 2012. OTA alerts the public to cyber crimes and other web threats.

By alerting the public, we have prevented a lot of online users from getting scammed or becoming victims of cybercrimes.

With the ever-increasing number of people going online, it important to have a community like OTA that continuously alerts or protects those same people from cyber-criminals, scammers and hackers, who are every day finding new ways of carrying out their malicious activities.

Online users can help by reporting suspicious or malicious messages or websites to OTA. And, if they want to determine if a message or website is a threat or scam, they can use OTA's search engine to search for the website or parts of the message for information.

Help maintain Online Threat Alerts (OTA).

"Email Deactivation - Verify Your Email Address" Microsoft Phishing Scam