Yahoo users who have received email messages like the one below, which claim that a request has been received to close down their accounts should delete the same messages and not follow the instructions in them. This is because the email messages are being sent by cyber criminals to trick Yahoo users into visiting a phishing or fake Yahoo website that steals account credentials (usernames and passwords).
A "Yahoo Account Closure Request" Phishing Scam
-- Forwarded Message --
From: Yahoo <cutenenen@yahoo.com>
Sent: Thursday, May 18, 2017 5:20 PM
Subject: Account Closure Request
YAHOO !
Dear Valued User,
We received your request to close down your account.
We will process your request within 24 hours.
If it was not you, kindly follow below and sign in to cancel request and continue using our services.
CANCEL REQUEST HERE
Failure to follow this notification will lead to error or your mailbox will be closed completely.
Regards
YMail Team.
Yahoo users who have already been tricked by the same phishing email messages are asked to change their passwords before their accounts are hijacked and used fraudulently by cybercriminals. Yahoo users whose accounts have already been hijacked can go to https://login.yahoo.com/ and click the "Trouble Signing in?" link to recover their accounts.
To protect against phishing scams, Yahoo users should never click on a link to sign into their accounts, they should instead go directly to https://login.yahoo.com/ or use the Yahoo mobile app. Once users have signed into their accounts they will be notified of changes, requests, or updates if there is any.