The email message below with the subject "Closing And De-activation Notice is been Processed," which claims that a request to shut down the recipients' accounts will be processed shortly, is a phishing scam being sent by cybercriminals to steal Microsoft Outlook or Hotmail usernames 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 it, and not follow the instructions in it.
The "Outlook Closing And De-activation Notice is been Processed" Phishing Scam
From: Mail Service [mailto:ben.meredith@hotmail.com]
Sent: Thursday, October 19, 2017 10:33 AM
To: account-security-noreply@account.microsoft.com
Subject: Closing And De-activation Notice is been processed.
Dear User,
Our record indicates that you recently made a request to shutdown your e-mail 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 the request now.
Cancal De-activation and sign back in to avoid automatic closure
However, if you do not cancel this request your account will be shutdown shortly and all your email data will be lost permanently.
Regards.
Email Administrator.
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 or there something that needs to be done to it, it will be shown to you after signing.
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.