Yahoo users who have received fake "Password Reset" email messages like the one below, which claim an action was initiated to shut down their accounts, are asked to delete them. This is because the fake email messages are phishing scams being sent by cybercriminals to steal Yahoo usernames and passwords, by tricking Yahoo users into visiting a phishing website or opening an HTML form that steals email account credentials.
The "Yahoo Password Reset" Phishing Scam
From: Mail <secure-notic@c.yahoo-secure.com>
Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2018 3:12 PM
Subject: Password Reset.
Yahoo!
Dear User,
You Recently Initiated an Action on your Yahoo account to Shut down your Account, Did you initiate this Action? If No, Kindly Cancel Request below by clicking the Cancel Request icon below log on to your account and your account will be automatically restored to it's normal Yahoo! settings. This will enable you enjoy better.
Cancel Request
Thanks for choosing our services.
Regards,
Yahoo! Mail Team
The link in the phishing email message goes to a fake or phishing Yahoo website or contains a HTML form, which will attempt to trick the potential victims into entering their usernames and passwords on it. If Yahoo users attempt to sign into phishing website with their Yahoo 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 Yahoo accounts will then be used by cyber criminals fraudulently.
Yahoo users who have received email messages asking them to click on a link to update or upgrade their accounts are asked to go directly to their email accounts at https://mail.yahoo.com, instead of clicking on the links in the email messages. If there is something that needs to be done to their accounts they will be notified after signing in. And, Yahoo users who have already been tricked by the phishing scam, are asked to change their passwords immediately before their Yahoo accounts are hijacked and used fraudulently.