Possible Email Scam

Question

I received an email in my outlook accounts that said my account my be deleted if I did not upgrade. I followed the link and began answering the questions. But they ask me for my financial information.

Is it a legitimate email?

Answer 1

Hi Mary Prater

Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Q&A Forum. I understand how worrying these kinds of emails can be.

Based on what you described, the message is almost certainly a phishing scam. Microsoft will never ask for your financial information through a link in an email, even for account verification or upgrades.

Just to confirm, did you enter any password or payment details on that page, or did you stop before submitting anything?

Here's what to do right now:

1. Stop using the link and don’t provide any more information.

• Do not click any other links in that message.
• If the page is asking for financial details, close it and do not continue.
• Then delete the suspicious message.

2. Report the email as phishing in Outlook

Reporting helps Microsoft improve filtering and protects other users.

• In Outlook, select the message and right-click to Report > Phishing (or similar "Report Junk/Phishing" option depending on your Outlook UI).

You can see: How do I report phishing or junk email? - Microsoft Support

3. Secure your account if needed

• Go to: https://account.microsoft.com/security > Manage how I sign in 
• If you notice anything unusual, change to a strong password and Sign out everywhere
• Turn on Two-step verification: How to use two-step verification with your Microsoft account - Microsoft Support
• Check Recent activity: https://account.microsoft.com/activity. Choose This wasn’t me/ Secure your account for anything you don’t recognize.

You can also see these official sources for more details:

• Protect yourself from phishing - Microsoft Support
• Can I trust email from the Microsoft account team? - Microsoft Support

Please feel free to let me know how it goes and thank you for your understanding.

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Answer 2

The email you received is likely a phishing scam. Legitimate emails from Microsoft regarding account issues or upgrades typically do not ask for financial information directly through links. Instead, they would come from official Microsoft domains, such as @accountprotection.microsoft.com. If you followed a link and were prompted for financial information, it is advisable to stop and not provide any details.

You should report the email and check your account directly by visiting the official Microsoft website rather than clicking on any links in the email.

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References:

• Is this legit email also? - Microsoft Q&A
• Legitimate email address? - Microsoft Q&A
• Email from M!CROSOFT - Microsoft Q&A
• Microsoft account security alert email - Microsoft Q&A