The Internet is a vast place full of information and knowledge. There is something interesting for everyone and it can never be boring. However, some people carry their illegal and morally questionable activities online due to many different advantages. Crimes such as extortion, theft and fraud can be easily carried out online, and your identity can remain private if you play your cards right.
That's why it's important to stay safe and take care of the sites you visit, the emails you open and the software you download from the internet.
A phishing scam that mimics Microsoft's official email account
Phishing is a term that describes an unauthorized attempt to obtain valuable information from someone, as passwords, credit card information and personal information, impersonating someone you trust or representing someone authorized. These attempts are usually successful among users with little knowledge of the web.
To understand this scam, It should be said that Microsoft sends emails as soon as it detects suspicious activity regarding your account. The email title is the same and everything looks the same, except sender email. As usual, it's pretty easy to spot the difference between an official Microsoft email and a scam.
The scam is usually sent from a fake email address and looks just like the real one.
How to avoid this scam
Fraudulent emails are often difficult to avoid unless a powerful spam filter is used on the computer. There are certain precautionary measures you can take if you think your Microsoft account needs additional protection.
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Check everything twice
Always look before opening any hyperlinks or attachments contained in your email, no matter who the sender is. If you just look at the structure of the email, you won't notice anything bad. However, scammers can't access Microsoft's real email account.
Remember, actual Microsoft emails always have the green shield next to the sender.
Emails with a green shield next to them are legitimate
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Use antivirus programs
Usually, most antivirus programs offer the option to protect your email security. Just activate these shields and you probably won't have to deal with spam anymore. In addition to registering certain emails as spam automatically, firewalls and virus protection can block any download or connection to your computer.
Even free antivirus programs like AVG offer email protection
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Use 2-Step Verification
Two-step verification makes it harder for scammers to hack into your Microsoft account because they will need to know your password AND your security information.. In this way, you will have to authenticate all new devices that need to be registered and a hacker's device will not be trusted.
To activate it, visit: Safety basics >> Log in >> more security options >> Two-step verification >> Set up two-step verification >> Follow the instructions on the screen.
You can choose an alternate email for verification purposes
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Block the sender from sending new emails
To stop receiving emails from this address, click Settings >> Choices >> Safe and blocked senders >> Senders blocked and add the address from which you received the email.
What's more, you can report this email to Microsoft. Open the email and select Spam from the menu at the top of the page. Click on Phishing Scam to submit this report to Microsoft for consideration.
