"Microsoft E-Mail Limit Exceeded" Phishing Scam

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Updated: Jun. 10, 2019 2019-06-10T12:21:05
Posted: Jun. 10, 2019 2019-06-10T12:19:42
Online Threat Alerts (OTA)

The fake "Microsoft Account Limit Almost Exceeded"email message below, which claims that the recipients’ email account storage has almost exceeded its limit and they should click on a link to add additional storage, is a phishing scam. The fake email message was created and sent by cyber-criminals to steal the recipients’ email account username and password. Once cyber-criminals have gotten their victims’ email account credentials, they will hijack their accounts and use them fraudulently. So, recipients of the fake email message and others like it should delete them and never attempt to click on the links or follow the instructions in them.

Recipients of the same message who have already followed the instructions in it should change their email account's password immediately before their accounts are hijacked and used fraudulently.

A "Microsoft E-Mail Limit Exceeded" Phishing Scam

From: ACCOUNT TEAM <rvanmeeter@live.com>

Sent: Monday, June 10, 2019 5:52 AM

Subject: Microsoft e-mail Limit Exceeded

Microsoft

You Need Extra 3.GB Space

Your storage capacity is full and needs expansion. Account will stop sending and receiving email soon.

Download Microsoft Token to expand storage capacity, if you want to continue with our service.

Thank you.

Microsoft account team

The link in the fake email message goes to a fake Microsoft Outlook, Hotmail or Live website. On the fake website, visitors will be asked to sign-in, if they attempt to do so, their email usernames and passwords will be sent to the cybercriminals responsible for the phishing email message. Once the cybercriminals have gotten their potential victims Microsoft account credentials, they will gain access to their accounts, hijack the accounts by changing passwords, and use the accounts fraudulently.