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The "Office365 Request to Terminate Email" Phishing Scam

The Office365 Request to Terminate Email Phishing Scam

The fake email message below which claims that the recipients' Office365 email will be terminated is a phishing scam created by cybercriminals to steal Microsoft Outlook or Hotmail usernames and passwords. The cybercriminals aim is to trick their potential victims into clicking the link in the email which goes a phishing website. The phishing website will ask visitors to sign-in, but any attempts to sign-in will result in the visitors' account credentials sent to the cybercriminals.

Once the cybercriminals have received the stolen credentials, they will use it to their potential victims' Office 365 accounts and use them maliciously or fraudulently. So, recipients of the same email message are advised to delete it, and not follow the instructions in it.

The "Office365 Request to Terminate Email" Phishing Scam

From: "IT Center" <akosuri@wisc.edu>

Date: August 24, 2018 at 5:08:34 AM CDT

Subject: Alert

Office 365

A Notice from UWC IT Center

Our record indicates that you recently made a request to terminate your Office365 email. This process has begun by our administrator.

If this request was made accidentally and you have no knowledge of it, you are advised to cancel the request now.

Please give us 24 hours to terminate your account, OR

Sign in here to cancel termination

Failure to cancel termination will result to closure of your account.

Thank you.

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.

Comment sectionComments or Answers

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Comments 7

Sep 18, 2018 at 9:06 PM by
The "Office365 Request to Terminate Email" Phishing Scam
an anonymous user from: Sugar Land, Texas, United States

[In reply] I am using a school account, therefore I cannot change the password. Also, do you know if this scam will insert a virus into my PC? (please hurry in your response!)

Delete

Sep 18, 2018 at 9:13 PM by
The "Office365 Request to Terminate Email" Phishing Scam
info

No, it will not insert a virus into your PC.

It is a phishing scam that steals usernames and passwords and use them to gain access to your email or other online accounts. Once the cybercriminals have gained access to the online accounts using the stolen usernames and passwords, they will use the online accounts fraudulently or maliciously. They may read your sensitive information, use your account to send spam, phishing or malicious emails.

Delete

Sep 18, 2018 at 7:28 PM by
The "Office365 Request to Terminate Email" Phishing Scam
an anonymous user from: Sugar Land, Texas, United States

What should I do if I have accidentally already posted my username and password to the site and there is no effect that has taken place yet?

Delete

Sep 18, 2018 at 7:34 PM by
The "Office365 Request to Terminate Email" Phishing Scam
info

Change your passwords.

Delete

Sep 18, 2018 at 7:56 PM by
The "Office365 Request to Terminate Email" Phishing Scam
an anonymous user from: Sugar Land, Texas, United States

I can't, it's a school account.

Delete

Sep 18, 2018 at 8:10 PM by
The "Office365 Request to Terminate Email" Phishing Scam
info

Ask your school's IT administrator do it for you.

Delete

waiting

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