The email message below with the subject "Updates to our terms of use and privacy statement," which claims the recipients need to update their accounts in the new Outlook Mail Experience within 48 hours, is a phishing scam sent by cyber criminals, and not by Microsoft. The fake email message was created by cyber criminals to frighten and trick the recipients into clicking on the link within it. The link goes to a phishing website or a fake website looking like Microsoft’s website, created by cyber criminals to trick potential victims into entering their Microsoft account usernames and passwords on it, by asking them to sign in. But, any attempts to sign into the fake website, will result in the victims’ Microsoft account usernames and passwords being sent to cyber criminals.
Once cybercriminals have gotten their potential victims’ account credentials (usernames and passwords), they will use it to hijack their Microsoft accounts and use them fraudulently. Therefore, recipients of the phishing email message (see below) who were tricked into clicking on the link within it and have attempted to sign into the phishing or fake website that they were taken, are asked to change their Microsoft account passwords immediately, before they are hijacked and used fraudulently by cybercriminals.
Since Microsoft sends out Service Agreement and Privacy Statement every year, it is hard to tell the difference between the legitimate and the phishing ones. Therefore, Microsoft customers are asked to view their Service Agreement and Privacy Statement on their website instead. Click here to view.
One of the "Updates to Our Terms of Use and Privacy Statement" Phishing Scams
From: Hotmail Team outlookvalidation@ biometricmatriculation.com
Sent: Thursday, August 4, 2016 12:28 AM
Subject: Updates to our terms of use and privacy statement
You’re receiving this email because we are updating the Microsoft Services Agreement, which applies to one or more Microsoft products or services you use. We’re making these updates to clarify our terms and ensure that they remain transparent for you, as well as to cover additional Microsoft products, services and features.
The Microsoft Services Agreement is an agreement between you and Microsoft (or one of its affiliates) that governs your use of Microsoft consumer online products and services.
If you fail to update your account into the new Outlook Mail Experience in 48 hours, Outlook will terminate its service for your account and all your data will be lost automatically.
Follow the service link below to get your account Validated.
VERIFY
Thank you for using Microsoft products and services.