"Microsoft End of Year Upgrade" Phishing Scams
The fake "Microsoft End of Year" email below, which claim the recipients' email accounts will expire or email address will be disabled if not updated, should delete them. This is because the email messages are phishing scams being sent by cyber criminals to trick the recipients into clicking on the links in them that go to phishing websites that steal email account usernames and passwords.
The "Microsoft End of Year Upgrade" Phishing Scam
From: USER SERVER - micro--soft05@outlook.com
Date: November 12, 2017 at 10:51:01 PM PST
Subject: FINAL WARNING:END OF THE YEAR UPGRADE
Your mailbox will expire on NOVEMBER 14TH, 2017
Dear User,
We are currently updating the windows services agreement and privacy statement. Please keep your security information updated. This is for your own safety.
DO NOT IGNORE THIS NOTICE !
UPDATE NOW
NOTE: YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS WILL BE CLOSED IF NOT UPDATED. (UPDATE IS FREE)
Thank you for using our services.
We respect your privacy.
If the links in the phishing email messages are clicked by the recipients, they will be taken to a phishing website and ask to sign-in. If they attempt to do so, their email account credentials (usernames and passwords) will be sent to the cybercriminals behind the scam. Once the cybercriminals have gotten the stolen credentials, they will gain access to the accounts, hijack them, and use them fraudulently.
Therefore, online users who have received email messages with a link to update their information or make changes to their accounts should always go directly to their email account provider's website and sign into their accounts instead of clicking on the link. Once online users have signed into their accounts, they will be noticed of changes or updates, if there are any. Going directly to their email provider's website and signing in from there is the only guaranteed way of preventing online users from becoming victims of phishing scams.
Online users who have already been tricked by the phishing scam are asked change their passwords immediately before their accounts are hijacked and used fraudulently. If their accounts have already been hijacked by cyber criminals they need to contact their email providers for help.
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Note: Some of the information in samples on this website may have been impersonated or spoofed.