Is the Email ‘Microsoft Account Security Alert-Recover Account’ a Phishing Scam?

Is the Email ‘Microsoft Account Security Alert-Recover Account’ a Phishing Scam?

Is the email message below: ‘Microsoft account security alert,’ legitimate or a phishing scam? Well, that is the question a lot of people have been asking us here at Online Threat Alerts. So, we examined the email message and found that it is legitimate, but it doesn't mean that cyber-criminals will not create similar email messages with links to malicious or malware websites.

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The Microsoft Security Alert Email Message

From: Microsoft account team <account-security-noreply @account.microsoft.com>
Subject: Microsoft account security alert
Microsoft account

Security alert

We think that someone else might have accessed the Microsoft account <email address>. When this happens, we require you to verify your identity with a security challenge and then change your password the next time you sign in.

If someone else has access to your account, they have your password and might be trying to access your personal information or send junk email.

If you haven't already recovered your account, we can help you do it now.

Recover account

Learn how to make your account more secure.

Thanks,

The Microsoft account team

How do we know that the email message is legitimate and not a phishing scam created to steal Hotmail, Live or Outlook users’ sign-in or login credentials?

Well, it very easy, because all you have to do is to move your mouse pointer or cursor over the “Recover account” link within the email message and look in your web browser’s address bar, where the name of the website that the link goes to will be shown. And looking at address bar you will notice that the link goes or points to the website address: account.live.com.

Note: Your web browser address bar is located at the bottom of the browser window.

The website address: account.live.com is owned by Microsoft. The other link in the email message actually goes to Microsoft’s own website: go.microsoft.com.

And, this is how we were able to determine that the message is legitimate and not a phishing scam.

Now, if you receive email messages, which appear as if they came from Microsoft, Hotmail, Outlook or Live, that ask you to click on a link within them, please ensure that the links in the messages go to one of the following website addresses:

  • live.com
  • hotmail.com
  • outlook.com
  • microsoft.com

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Comments(5)

Aug 1, 2018 at 2:54 PM by
Is the Email ‘Microsoft Account Security Alert-Recover Account’ a Phishing Scam?
an anonymous user from: Gainesboro, Tennessee, United States

I went to access my Hotmail account and got a message again and said I needed a code ...

I clicked send code and got this...

How do you want to receive your security code?

Text ***74

To verify that this is your phone number, enter the last 4 digits including 74, and then click "Send code" to receive your code.

Last 4 digits of phone number

xxxx

Call ***74

I don't have these any more

There's a temporary problem with the service. Please try again. If you continue to get this message, try again later.

I have a code

What is going on?

Delete

Aug 1, 2018 at 2:16 PM by
Is the Email ‘Microsoft Account Security Alert-Recover Account’ a Phishing Scam?
an anonymous user from: Gainesboro, Tennessee, United States

I hover over the "recover" link and the address bar info does not change.

This is the address of the message ...

https://outlook.live.com/owa/?id=64855&owa=1&owasuffix=owa/&path=/mail/inbox/rp

It appears to come from Outlook.com ... but what is all those other characters for? How do I get your reply? Not sure how I got here in searching.

Delete

Aug 1, 2018 at 2:59 PM by
Is the Email ‘Microsoft Account Security Alert-Recover Account’ a Phishing Scam?
info

Outlook may have removed the malicious link for your safety.

Delete

Aug 29, 2016 at 3:50 PM by
Is the Email ‘Microsoft Account Security Alert-Recover Account’ a Phishing Scam?
an anonymous user from: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

How can I recover pictures, notes, contacts from my stolen phone? Does google have those information on file? If they do, how can I recover it?

Delete

Aug 29, 2016 at 7:21 PM by
Is the Email ‘Microsoft Account Security Alert-Recover Account’ a Phishing Scam?
info

Google doesn't store your information with your consent. So, if you didn't backuo your information, there is no way to recover it.

Google has a photo backup utility called "Photos", but it doesn't backup your photo unless you tell it to. If your photos were backup, then you may go to:

https://photos.google.com

to recover them.

Going forward, download a free backup app from the Android Playstore that backup your phone information in the cloud.

Delete

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Is the Email ‘Microsoft Account Security Alert-Recover Account’ a Phishing Scam?