"Microsoft Technical Upgrade and System Error" Phising Scam
Microsoft users, please delete "Microsoft Technical Upgrade and System Error" emails like the one below, which claim Microsoft is upgrading their servers and ask you to click on a link to get started. The emails are fakes and phishing scams being sent by cybercriminals to trick you into clicking on the link within it that goes a phishing website that steals account credentials.
The "Microsoft Technical Upgrade and System Error" Phishing Scam
From: Mcrosoft account team - verification-team-update2015@hotmail.com
Date: 5 April 2018 at 11:33:24 am AEST
Subject: Technical Upgrade
Mail box
System Error
To ensure highest security performance, we are upgrading our servers and databases as we will shut down some dormant mail boxes due to none usage.
Follow the button below to verify that you are still an active user, failure to act within 24hrs will cause your Mailbox access to be restricted permanently.
Error code: 34yy2hyrt3gfggeh3526herrd3344f0
(pkt)
Verify
To opt out or change where you receive notifications, click here.
Thanks, Security Team.
The link in the email message goes to a fake 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 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.
Recipients who have received the same email message are asked to go directly to their email account at https://account.microsoft.com/account, instead of clicking on the links in the email message. If there is anything wrong with their accounts, it will be shown to them after signing into their accounts.
And, recipients who have been tricked by the phishing emails are asked to change their Microsoft password immediately. And, if they are unable to, they should 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.