Microsoft security warning

So, I know this happens sometimes but I want to be safe.
While I was away, my email received two emails like this:

Titled Unusual Activity Detected

reading as followed, one one day before the other

"We detected something unusual about a recent activity to the microsoft account (email removed for this thread) To help keep you safe, we required an extra security challenge. You will need to verify your microsoft account below to confirm that the recent activity was yours and to regain access and enjoy our unlimited service and to opt out or change where you receive security notifications."

so looked very official but

Now to me this usually looks like Microsoft, but the address of the email worried me, it had a display name of

[email protected] ([email protected])


so I hovered over the verify link to see where it would direct, and it would redirect and log into some atousuniversal site there.

So, were these email scare emails that were fake, trying to scare me that someone had accessed my account, or are these legitimately from Microsoft?

Please can someone help me?? I'm a bit worried.


I say a bit, I mean a lot!

Now to me this usually looks like Microsoft, but the address of the email worried me, it had a display name of

[email protected] ([email protected])


so I hovered over the verify link to see where it would direct, and it would redirect and log into some atousuniversal site there.

So, were these email scare emails that were fake, trying to scare me that someone had accessed my account, or are these legitimately from Microsoft?

Please can someone help me?? I'm a bit worried.


I say a bit, I mean a lot!

it is a fake warning, probably trying to get you to click on a link to a phishing site. the [email protected] is more likely the originating email address. microsoft would never warn people like that, nor would they use a gmx email address, even if they did. The fact is, Microsoft doesn't care about what you do with your computer after you buy it, then it is your problem.

A "name" on an email account means absolutely nothing. It is the email address that matters more. Even an address can be "spoofed", so nothing is foolproof, but the "complete headers" aka "full headers" can help you detect scams.

Look at the links at the bottom of my post to see how your email software will reveal the complete headers and post them here ( removing your personal information before you post it [eg: your name and email address]).

Hello confusedmelon,
This is a common phishing tactic in an attempt o gain access to your email account. The best thing to do now is just delete the email and move on.

Thank you to both of you;

I wondered, how do they get the emails? this email is a very private one, it's not a personal attack then?

it was quite a pickle because inbetween getting the scam emails I had actually been on a trip where my email on my phone was using another IP. Very slyly timed, but the times were very different and not from Microsoft no

Thank you to both of you;

I wondered, how do they get the emails? this email is a very private one, it's not a personal attack then?

it was quite a pickle because inbetween getting the scam emails I had actually been on a trip where my email on my phone was using another IP. Very slyly timed, but the times were very different and not from Microsoft no

uw.

The simplest answer for how they get them is outlaw software. No, its not a personal attack. They find email addresses that are valid and harvest them like corn or soybeans. Then attempt to hack accounts in hopes of finding some good information in them.

In the future be sure never to use your phone on a public WIFI system, use your own 3 or 4G, especially doing banking and other financial transactions. and make sure it has anti-virus/ anti-malware protection installed on it. The newest hackers are learning android and other phones are prime targets for hacks, but they never used to be in the past because Linux (android is a Linux based OS) was a minority in the PC arena. Now they are a majority of the handheld device market.