Microsoft users who have received email messages like the one below, which claim that their passwords are set to expire should delete them because they are phishing scams. The phishing email messages are being by cyber criminals to trick their potential victims into clicking on the within them that go to a fake Microsoft website. Once on the fake website, visitors will be asked to sign-in with their Microsoft account credentials (username and password). But, any attempts to sign into the fake website will send their credentials to the cybercriminal behind the scam.
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A Sample of the "Your password is Set to Expire" Microsoft Phishing Scam
From: Microsoft Outlook <info85892@ultraviolet-derfilm.de>
Sent: Wednesday, May 24, 2017 6:43 AM
To: Janie MacDonald
Subject: Your password is set to expire
Microsoft account
Dear Janie
We are contacting you for the last time before locking you out.
You have 24 hours to respond.
Resolve this by following directives below.
RECTIFY PASSWORD EXPIRATION
Sincerely
Microsoft Office365
Once the cybercriminals have gotten their potential victims' Microsoft account credentials, they will gain access to their accounts, hijack them, and use them fraudulently. Hijacked accounts that are used fraudulently will be blocked by Microsoft, therefore, Microsoft users who have been tricked by the phishing scam are asked to change their passwords before their accounts are hijacked.
Microsoft users whose accounts have already been hijacked may follow the instructions below to recover their accounts:
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Go to https://login.live.com/
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Enter your email address and click the "Next" button
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Click the "Forgot my password" link
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Click "I think someone else is using my Microsoft account" link
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Follow the rest of the instructions
Remember, never click on a link in an email message to sign into your Microsoft account. Always go directly to www.hotmail.com, www.outlook.com, or login.live.com to sign-in instead. After signing in, important notifications, changes or updates will be shown to you, if there is any.
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Remember to forward suspicious, malicious, or phishing email messages to us at the following email address: info@onlinethreatalerts.com
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