Spam or legit - email from To ******@office.microsoft.com

Question

I have received two emails via Outlook Hotmail about an update to Microsoft’s terms of service. Is this legit or is it spam? Here is the contents of the message with a link to click on (which I have not done):

We contacted you last month regarding upcoming changes to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. These updates are important steps toward building a better experience for users like you, while also giving you greater transparency and control over how your data is used.

in order to continue to access your maiI, you will need to update the Terms of Service.

CL!CK HERE TO UPDATE

Important :   Failure to update will result in permanent Loss of access to your stored data.  Please do not reply to this message. This email address is not monitored, and responses will not be received.

Answer 1

Hi , Thank you for reaching out!

My name is Stefano and it’s my pleasure to assist you today.

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This is a spam / phishing email. Do NOT click the link.

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Even if it looks like it comes from Microsoft, several red flags make it clear it’s not a real message from Microsoft:

1. Threatening language

“Failure to update will result in permanent Loss of access to your stored data”

Microsoft never threatens immediate or permanent data loss via email to force clicks.

2. Generic wording

Real Microsoft emails:

• Address you by name
• Refer to your Microsoft account
• Do not say “your mail” in generic terms

3. Wrong process

Microsoft does not update Terms of Service via email links.

Legitimate updates:

• Are announced
• Do not block access
• Are accepted automatically or inside your account after you sign in normally

You are never required to click an email link to keep Outlook/Hotmail working.

4. Sender address is misleading

Even if it shows something like:

******@office.microsoft.com

That can be:

• Spoofed
• A compromised relay
• Or just the display name (not the real sender)

Phishers often use Microsoft-looking domains to create trust.

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Do NOT click the link

Mark the email as Phishing in Outlook / Hotmail

Delete it

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As Microsoft suggest at the following support article:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/protect-yourself-from-tech-support-scams-2ebf91bd-f94c-2a8a-e541-f5c800d18435

please, report the phishing email to the tech support scams team at:

www.microsoft.com/reportascam

Answer 2

The email you received appears to be a phishing attempt rather than a legitimate communication from Microsoft. Here are some key indicators:

1. Sender's Email Address: While the email claims to be from office.microsoft.com, it is essential to verify the actual sender's email address. Legitimate emails from Microsoft typically come from domains like microsoft.com, microsoftsupport.com, or mail.support.microsoft.com. If the email is from a different domain, it is likely a scam.
2. Urgency and Threats: The message creates a sense of urgency by stating that failure to update will result in permanent loss of access to your stored data. This tactic is commonly used in phishing emails to provoke immediate action without careful consideration.
3. Link to Click: The instruction to "CL!CK HERE TO UPDATE" is a red flag. Legitimate companies usually do not ask users to click on links to update terms of service. Instead, they would direct you to log into your account through their official website.
4. Do Not Reply: The note stating that the email address is not monitored is another common tactic used in phishing emails to discourage users from questioning the legitimacy of the email.

If you suspect an email is a phishing attempt, do not click any links or provide any personal information. You can report the email to Microsoft for further investigation.

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References:

• How do I know if an email from Microsoft support is genuine?
• Protect yourself from phishing