An email is being received by users of Microsoft’s email accounts claiming to be sent from Windows Outlook. It has been titled C-93 Virus Alert and informs the user that a virus has been detected by Microsoft in your mailbox. Also present in that email is the method to eliminate this virus.
It says that to remove the virus you need to click on a link that will run the Norton anti-virus scan and will remove all traces of Trojan and Viral bugs from your mailbox. However, warns the sender, if you ignore this message and don’t run the scan, your mailbox will be deactivated.
Instead of Virus, Phishing Scam Detected!
In reality, this email is nothing else but another Phishing scam. No traces of a virus have been detected in your mailbox and Outlook is not responsible for sending this email either. All claims made in this fake email are untrue.
Example Email:
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The purpose of this email actually is to trick you into providing your login details of your real Microsoft Account to hackers and cybercriminals. Once you click on the provided link, you will be redirected to a fake webpage that will appear exactly like the real Microsoft account page. As soon as you enter your login information (username and password), and click on the “Sign in” tab, a genuine looking Microsoft account page will appear.
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Meanwhile, hackers will retrieve your login information and it will be used for hijacking your actual Microsoft account. Since your Microsoft account is synced with numerous Microsoft services therefore, your account details will be a very valuable commodity for fraudsters, reports Hoax Slayer
Virus Alerts—A much Loved Phishing Mechanism by Scammers
It is evident that this latest phishing scam is very similar to earlier such attempts such as the one that claimed about detection of a ‘DGTFX virus’ in your mailbox. The main target of these kinds of scams are less computer savvy users since they are most likely to be panicked by these sort of emails and will follow all the instructions blindly.
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If you have received it as well then you know what to do since you have been warned!
