This article guides you to deal with abuse, phishing, and scam in Outlook.com
If someone has accessed your Outlook account, or you got a confirmation email for a password change that you did not authorize, you can recover your account. You can read this article for a more comprehensive guide: Unblock and Recover a blocked or suspended Outlook or Microsoft account.
The phishing scam is an email that seems legitimate, but it attempts to get your personal information or steal your money.
If you believe you've received a phishing scam, report the email by selecting the down arrow next to Junk and choosing one of the following options.
1. Verify your account now or we'll close it.
What is the situations scam like?
You get an email that looks like it's from your bank, or an e-commerce service like PayPal or eBay, or from your email provider, warning that your account will be suspended or closed unless you “verify” your account by replying with information your account.
What do scammers want?
As for scams disguising bank or e-commerce, they want to have your personal info so they can steal your identity, take money your bank accounts, and pay by your credit card. As for scams pretending as an email provider, they want to ask for your email account username and password to hack your account and send out junk email.
What are the additional signals for scams?
Have an email request an urgent reply (for example, “You must verify within twenty-four hours”). This means that you will have little time to research if it’s legitimate or no.
What can you do?
2. A large sum of money can be yours, just send your personal info or some cash.
What is the situations scam like?
There’s money in some account that some people want to share with you. All you have to do is to send them your personal info or some money.
What do scammers want?
Sometimes they just want you to send them money. Other times they want your personal info so they can steal your identity, take money your bank accounts, and pay by your credit card.
What are the additional signals for scams?
What can you do?
3. You're our big winner.
What is the situations scam like?
Congratulations! You had won the lottery! Or you were joined of Microsoft sweepstakes and you’ve won the jackpot!
What do scammers want?
Your personal info so they can steal your identity and take money your bank accounts.
What are the additional signals for scams?
What can you do?
4. Help! I'm stranded!
What is the situations scam like?
A friend of yours is on vacation and got stranded. They need you to send them some urgent money
What do scammers want?
For you to send them some money.
What are the additional signals for scams?
This one can be more difficult to spot. Typically, the scammer has hacked your friend’s email account and sent this “emergency” email to your friend’s contact list. The sender email address will be legitimate. The salutation might even be personal (“Dear Joe”) but the email really did come from your friend?
What can you do?
Before making any decision, let’s check directly with your friend, such as making a phone call. If it is not possible, try to contact your mutual friends.
Ask yourself the following questions:
Unless you can contact your friend or a reliable mutual friend directly other than via email, you can think it's a scam. Report it as my friend's been hacked.
5. If you (don’t) forward this email, something (bad) good will happen!
What is the situations scam like?
Forward this email and Microsoft will send you $500! Forward this petition to keep Outlook.com a free service! Warn all your friends about this scary computer virus!
What do scammers want?
Send an email scam to more people and brag with other their spammer friends.
How can you do?
What should you do when you receive an email spoofing or receiving an email from yourself?
If you receive an email message from yourself and you know you didn't send the message, you can report this email and then delete it. Spammers can use a technique called "spoofing" make you believe that the email is trustworthy.