The email message below with the subject: "Microsoft 2017 update request/ warning alert," which claims the recipients need to update their accounts because their email messages were placed on hold due to them still using an old version of Outlook, is a phishing scam sent by cybercriminals, and not by Microsoft. The fake email message was created by cybercriminals to frighten and trick the recipients into clicking on the link within it. The link goes to a phishing website or a fake website looking like Microsoft’s website, created by cybercriminals to trick potential victims into entering their Microsoft account usernames and passwords on it, by asking them to sign in. But, any attempts to sign into the fake website, will result in the victims’ Microsoft account usernames and passwords being sent to cybercriminals.
Once cybercriminals have gotten their potential victims’ account credentials (usernames and passwords), they will use it to hijack their Microsoft accounts and use them fraudulently. Therefore, recipients of the phishing email message (see below) who were tricked into clicking on the link within it and have attempted to sign into the phishing or fake website that they were taken, are asked to change their Microsoft account passwords immediately, before they are hijacked and used fraudulently by cybercriminals.
The "Microsoft 2017 Update Request Warning Alert" Phishing Scam
From: Outlook Security Team kbarbuti@hotmail.com
Date: January 22, 2017 at 2:20:02 PM MST
To: msn-center@outlook.com
Subject: Microsoft 2017 update request/ warning alert!
This message is from a trusted sender.
Microsoft account
Security update alert
Dear Outlook User,
We noticed that your incoming emails was placed on-hold due to you are still operating in our old version.
Take a minute to update your account below for safer and full-featured Outlook experience.
Click here for your new update
Failure to update your account on or before 26th. Jan. 2017 will lead to permanently shutdown of your account from our database.
Thanks,
Microsoft Account Team
©2017 Microsoft Inc. All Rights Reserved
Microsoft users should never click on a link to sign into their accounts, they should instead, go directly to https://account.microsoft.com/ and sign-in from there. If there is something that needs to be done to their accounts, they will be notified. This is will prevent Microsoft users from visiting phishing websites disguised as legitimate Microsoft website that steal account credentials.