Online Threat Alerts (OTA) - Alerting you to scams and frauds.

"We're Updating the 2016 Microsoft Services Agreement and Security Strength" Phishing Scam
Were Updating the 2016 Microsoft Services Agreement and Security Strength Phishing Scam

The email message below with the subject: "Sign in to your Microsoft account," which claims that Microsoft is updating the 2016 Microsoft Services Agreement and the Microsoft Security Strength, and wants to take the opportunity to notify the recipients about Outlook 2016 updates due to recent changes made on their accounts, is a phishing scam. The fake email message was by created cybercriminals to trick the recipients into clicking on the link within it, which will take them to a phishing website that steals Microsoft Outlook or Hotmail user names and passwords. Once cybercriminals have stolen their potential victims' Microsoft accounts credentials, they will hijack their accounts and use them for malicious purposes. So, recipients of the same email message are advised to delete it, and not follow the instructions in it.

The Microsoft Account Phishing Email Message

From: service@Outlook.com v234redfbv@sbmta2.cc.stonybrook.edu
Sent: Monday, July 25, 2016 4:24:07 AM
Subject: Sign in to your Microsoft account

Dear Valued User,

We're updating the 2016 Microsoft Services Agreement and the Microsoft Security Strength..

We want to take this opportunity to notify you about Outlook 2016 updates due to recent changes made on your account.

If you do not update your account, you will be disconnected from sending and receiving e-mails within 24 hours.

CONFIRM YOUR ACCOUNT

Microsoft Team

Thank you for being a Microsoft customer.

The link in the email message goes to the fake Outlook or Microsoft website: manageaccounthotid.access.ly, 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.

This scam is similar to the following:

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