Microsoft Alerts its Windows Live Hotmail Users of a Phishing E-Mail

According to reports received recently, Microsoft is alerting its Windows Live Hotmail users about a phishing fraud that purports to come from Hotmail Customer Care.

According to news published in ars technicia on August 11, 2008, the software developer is sending a warning note through e-mail to all Hotmail E-mail User Account owners for safety reasons.

The scam e-mail says that Windows Live Hotmail is suffering from congestion due to some unnamed Hotmail account registrations; as a result, it is deleting some Hotmail accounts including that of e-mail recipient.

Nevertheless, the phishing e-mail posing to have come from Windows Live Hotmail proceeds to inquire from the recipient whether she or he is interested in utilizing the deleted account. If the answer is affirmative, then the recipient needs to confirm her or his account details including username, password, country of origin and date of birth in order to reactivate her or his account.

Further, the e-mail asks the recipient to authenticate her/his e-mail by providing login details as mentioned in the message by clicking on the reply option. Otherwise, she/he would find her/his account suspended in 24 hours and completely eliminated in two weeks. This is apparently for security reasons; and in this manner, the e-mail recipient gets trapped in a phishing net from where it is hard to escape.

Moreover, the e-mail tries to appear legitimate by requesting its recipient to alert her/his friends who might be less skilled, technically as well as to prompt them that Microsoft never ask for personal information over e-mail.

Furthermore, according to the text in the e-mail, if users follow e-mail instructions, then their accounts would remain uninterrupted and would continue to function as usual. The e-mail in the end offers thanks to the reader for her/his attention and regrets for the troubles caused.

Meanwhile, according to some security specialists, the phishing fraud can be effortlessly identified, with the Windows Live Hotmail team signature appearing from the beginning and going on to the point of the signature.

Related article: Microsoft Patches Live OneCare to Tackle Quarantined E-Mails

» SPAMfighter News - 8/28/2008