Microsoft users who have received the "Your Account is being Terminated" email below, which claims that their accounts will be blocked and then terminated, are asked to delete them because they are phishing scams. The fake email messages are being sent by cybercriminals to steal Live usernames and passwords, by tricking Live users into visiting a phishing website that steals email account credentials.
A Sample of the "Microsoft Your Account is being Terminated" Phishing Scam
From: "The hotmail.com Accounts"
Date: April 17, 2018 at 4:32:52 PM EDT
Subject: "Your Account is being Terminated Ticket ID [CASE:HTM1390070619]"
Microsoft account
Verify Your account
We've have Detected something unusual about a recent sign-in for the microsoft account @*****.*** for example , you might be signing in from a new location, device or app.
To help You keep safe, we've blocked access to your inbox, contact list and calender for that sign-in. Please review your recent activity and we'll help you take corrective action. To regain you'll need to confirm that the recent activity was yours.
If it was you click here
Please reply us. click here to tell us what happened.
If You Receive This Message In Your Junk or Spam Its Due to Your Internet Provider
Thank You
Microsoft Office
The link in the phishing email message goes to a fake or phishing Live website, which will attempt to trick the potential victims into entering their usernames and passwords on it. If Live 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 Live 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 Live account is hijacked. If your account has already been hijacked, click here for help regaining access to it.