Hotmail users who have received emails like the one below, which claim that their requests to remove their accounts from Hotmail servers have been approved, are asked to delete them because they are phishing scams. The fake email messages are being sent by cybercriminals to steal Hotmail usernames and passwords, by tricking Hotmail users into visiting a phishing website that steals email account credentials.
Sample of the "Hotmail Account Removal Request" Phishing Scam
From: The hotmail.com Accounts <nbtfghnrft@atl31.mobilealks.com>
Date: 7 February 2018 at 01:25:50 GMT
Subject: Your Account is being Terminated Ticket ID [CASE:HTM139503043
Reply-To: <fhgnrtfhnrdf@atl31.mobilealks.com>
Hi,
This is to inform you that your request on: 2018-02-06 19-25-20 to remove your account from hotmail.com Servers has been approved and will initiate in one hour from the exact time you open this message.
Ignore this message to continue with email removal or
If this deactivation was not requested by you Please reply to this mail directly without altering the subject.
Regards,
hotmail.com Team
The link in the phishing email message goes to a fake or phishing Hotmail website, which will attempt to trick the potential victims into entering their usernames and passwords on it. If Hotmail users attempt to sign into the phishing website with their usernames and passwords, it will be sent to the cybercriminals behind the email scam, who will use the information to hijack their accounts. The hijacked Hotmail accounts will then be used by cybercriminals fraudulently.
Remember, if you receive email messages like these, please go directly to your email account instead of clicking on the links in the email messages. If there is anything wrong with your account, it will be shown to you after signing in. And, if you were tricked by one of these phishing scams, please change your password immediately before your Hotmail account is hijacked. If your account has already been hijacked, click here for help regaining access to it.