"Microsoft Outlook Recovery Phone Number" Phishing Scam
The fake deactivation email message below, which claims that the recipients' Microsoft account will be deactivated and subsequently disabled if they do not provide their recovery phone number, is a phishing scam created to steal Microsoft usernames and passwords. The email message was not sent by Microsoft, but by cyber-criminals, whose intentions are to hijack email accounts and use them for malicious purposes. So, recipients of the same email message are advised to delete it, and should not follow the instructions in it.
Microsoft will never disable or close an account if the owner does not provide a recovery phone number.
The "Microsoft Outlook Recovery Phone Number" Scam
From: Mixcrosoft - Mixcrosoft@FinnsBB.onmicrosoft.com
Sent: April 24, 2018 9:31 AM
Subject: April 24 Deactivaction
MICROSOFT OUTLOOK
On Sunday, April 22, 2018 at 4:00pm we noticed that you have not provided the recovery phone number in your microsoft e-mail
Note: If you do not provide your recovery phone number, your Microsoft e-mail will be disabled due to our new e-mail policy.
Please provide the recovery phone number to keep your e-mail active and secure
ENTER
The link in the email message goes to a fake Outlook or Microsoft website, which will attempt to trick the cyber-criminals' potential victims into entering their usernames and passwords on it. If the potential victims enter their Microsoft Outlook, Hotmail, Live usernames and passwords on the fake website, it will be sent to the cyber-criminals behind the email scam, who will use the information to hijack their accounts.
If you have received the same email message, please go directly to your email account instead of clicking on the links in the email message. And, if there is anything wrong with your account, it will be shown to you after signing in. If you were tricked by the phishing email, please change your Microsoft Hotmail/Live/Outlook immediately. If you are unable to, click here to report it to Microsoft.
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Note: Some of the information in samples on this website may have been impersonated or spoofed.