Email account holders who have received emails like the one below, which claim their email account service is currently out-dated, are asked to delete them. This is because the email messages are phishing scams being sent by cybercriminals to potential victims in an attempt to steal their email account credentials.
The "Email Account Service is Currently Out-dated" Phishing Scam
Dear info,
Dated: Nov 1, 2017.
This is to inform your email account (info@onlinethreatalerts.com) service is currently out-dated and some of your incoming & outgoing messages status already showing pending in our server.
Your service to send/receive E-messages could be suspended next 24 hours time if not verified.
You are requested to quickly click below verify button to update/activate your service in full and start enjoying your E-messages service again.
Click here to verify
Note: Your email account send/receive services will permanently be disabled if you fail to verify correctly.
© 2017 Email Administrator. All Rights Reversed.
The link in the fake email message goes to a phishing website that will ask visitors to sign-in, but any attempt to sign-in will result in their email account credentials sent to cybercriminals. Once the cybercriminals receive the stolen credentials, they will use it to hijack the accounts and use them fraudulently.
Email account holders who have already been tricked by the phishing scam are asked to change their passwords immediately. For those who are unable to, are asked to contact their email providers for help or use their email account providers' "Forgot Password" option to reset their password so they can regain access to their accounts.