The email message below with the subject: "2018 Account De-Activation In Progress," which claims that the processing of incoming emails will be stopped, is a phishing scam created to steal Microsoft account 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 not follow the instructions in it.
The "2018 Account De-Activation In Progress" Phishing Scam
From: Microsoft.com team <Richardofhurst@hotmail.com>
Sent: 05 June 2018 10:24
To: security_drive@microsoft.com
Subject: 2018 ACCOUNT DE-ACTIVATION IN PROGRESS
INTERNAL NOTICE
This is to notify you for the final time that we will have to stop processing incoming emails on your account since you have refused to upgrade your account and we might be forced to "lock up" your account if this notice is IGNORED.
UPGRADE NOW
This restriction will be DISABLED immediately we confirm upgrade is successful.
Thanks
The email security team@2018.
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 account 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 account password immediately. If you are unable to, click here to report it to Microsoft.