Microsoft Outlook or Hotmail users, please delete emails that claim you need to upgrade your accounts or else they will be suspended. The emails are fakes and phishing scams being sent by cybercriminals to trick you into clicking on the link within it that goes a phishing website that steals account credentials.
Sample of the "Outlook Hotmail Account Upgrade Maintenance and Suspension" Phishing Scam
From: ©Microsoft Account Team <parsons312@msn.com>
Sent: Monday, 9 October 2017 11:42 AM
To: member.service@outlook.com
Subject: Final Warning: Upgrade your account
Outlook
Confirm Your Email Address
We are undergoing maintenance therefore all Hotmail accounts must be updated, this is to reduce the number of dormant accounts. Accounts not updated in 48 hours will be suspended.
CLICK the below link to update your Email account
Confirm Your Email Address
Sincerely, The Outlook Accounts team
You received this mandatory email service announcement to update you about important changes to your Outlook product or account.
0 2015 Outlook Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Maintain View, CA 94043, USA
The link in the email message goes to a fake Hotmail, 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.
Recipients who have received the same email message are asked to go directly to their email account at www.outlook.com, instead of clicking on the links in the email message. If there is anything wrong with their accounts, it will be shown to them after signing into their accounts.
And, recipients who have been tricked by the phishing emails are asked to change their Microsoft Hotmail/Live/Outlook password immediately. And, if they are unable to, they should click here to report it to Microsoft.