Azure Activated Severity 2 Invoice Paid Email Received

Question

I received an email that says my "Azure Monitor alert was triggered for Microsoft Corporation Billing and Account Security for a potentially unauthorized charge" on my account, but when I try to investigate it using the button provided in the message, it says I do not have access to that information.

I have tried both of my Microsoft account logins and get the same unauthorized message with both of them. I don't use Azure and do not see any new charges on my MS account, so am wondering if this is a scam, even though the headers says it came from Azure/Microsoft.

If it's real, I have no idea how to resolve the alert.

Answer 1

Hi Melissa Bailey,

Recently there have been malicious Azure Monitor Alert messages going out and there is good chance that is what you are receiving. DO NOT call any phone number(s) in the email messages.

It appears what is happening is bad actors get access to an Azure subscription, set up Alerts with potential victim's email address (your email) set as recipient, then trigger alert. In the text of the alert they mention things like Fraud Prevention System, Windows Defender, some substantial $ amount, potentially unauthorized charge, account suspension, Fraud Resolution Hotline, etc., and their goal is for you to call a phone number.

DO NOT call any phone number in the email and DO NOT click on any links. They want you to call them so they can scam you.

If you would like me to review the email to double-check you may post it in a comment as a .txt attachment. Please remove your email address from the email text for privacy reasons.

NOTE: In a sense, the emails are "legit" in that they are coming from a real Microsoft email address, however, the text contained in the alert emails are written by scammers trying to trick you into calling them.

Please click Accept Answer and upvote if the above was helpful.

Thanks.

-TP

Answer 2

Hello Melissa Bailey,

Thank you for posting your query on Microsoft Q&A platform.

We from Microsoft after investigation we see that you’re describing closely aligns with a known scam pattern involving Azure alert emails.

In these cases, attackers first gain access to an Azure subscription and then deliberately configure alert rules to send notifications to external email addresses (such as yours). They subsequently trigger those alerts. While the emails are technically generated by Azure, the alert message content itself is authored by the attackers.

These emails typically include alarming language such as:

• references to a “Fraud Prevention System” or “Windows Defender,”

warnings about large, suspicious charges, threats of account suspension, and a so‑called “Fraud Resolution” or “Support Hotline” phone number.

The objective is to pressure recipients into calling that number, where the scam continues.

Important guidance:

Do not call any phone number mentioned in the email. Do not click any links included in the message. Simply delete the email.

It’s worth noting that these messages can appear convincing because they are sent from legitimate Microsoft email infrastructure. However, Microsoft does not include phone numbers or urgent call‑to‑action language like this in genuine Azure alert notifications.

Reference: https://malwaretips.com/blogs/microsoft-azure-alert-was-triggered-scam-exposed-investigation/

If the provided information helped, kindly consider marking the answer as "Accepted" and "Upvote" it. This helps other community members who may encounter a similar issue in the future.

If you have any queries, please feel free to reach out us.