Microsoft users are asked to delete fake email messages like the one below, which claim that Microsoft will be shutting several email accounts if they are not verified. The fake email messages are being sent by cybercriminals to frighten and trick the recipients into clicking on the link within them. The link goes to a phishing website or a fake website looking like Microsoft’s website, created by cybercriminals to trick potential victims into signing in. But, any attempts to sign into the fake website, will result in the victims’ Microsoft account usernames and passwords being sent to cybercriminals.
A Sample of the "Microsoft Office 365 De-activation Notice" Phishing Scam
From: Email management Team [mailto:wendywang005@netscape.com]
Sent: Tuesday, July 18, 2017 8:40 AM
To: serviceone@microsoft.com
Subject: De-activation Notice
Office 365
Office 2017 is the latest version of Microsoft’s productivity apps, such as Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Outlook. You can upgrade the Office 365 with the new and enhanced features of Office 2017 by upgrading from the Office 2016 version of Office 365 to the Office 2017 version.
For more information, see Overview of upgrade for Office 365.
Sincerely,
The Microsoft Online Services Team
Microsoft respects your privacy. Please read our online Privacy Statement.
You are receiving this email because you have subscribed to Microsoft Office 365.
Once cybercriminals have gotten their potential victims’ account credentials (usernames and passwords), they will use it to hijack their Microsoft accounts and use them fraudulently. Therefore, recipients of the phishing email message (see below) who were tricked into clicking on the link within it and have attempted to sign into the phishing or fake website that they were taken, are asked to change their Microsoft account passwords immediately, before they are hijacked and used fraudulently by cyber criminals.
Microsoft users should never click on a link to sign into their accounts, they should instead, go directly to https://account.microsoft.com/ and sign-in from there. If there is something that needs to be done to their accounts, they will be notified. This is will prevent Microsoft users from visiting phishing websites disguised as legitimate Microsoft website that steals account credentials.