Today’s Scam of the day came from a long time friend and Scamicide reader who was savvy enough not to fall for this very clever scam.  It starts when you receive an email that appears to have been sent by Microsoft Outlook informing you that you have received a voice mail message with a link to click on to access the voice mail message.    If you do click on the link you will be directed to a phony, but legitimate appearing Outlook login page where you are prompted to provide your email address and password which is the information that the scammers are seeking.  Having your Microsoft password and email address can lead to your becoming a victim of identity theft.

Here is a copy of the initial email message:

Here is a copy of the page to which you are directed if you click on the link to “Listen to your Voice Mail.”

TIPS

While this is a very persuasive phishing email that both looks legitimate and appeals to your curiosity, there are a few telltale signs that this is a scam.  First and foremost, the email address from which the initial email is sent has no relation to Microsoft or Outlook.  It may be the email address of an unfortunate person whose email account was hacked and made a part of a botnet used to send out such phishing emails while covering the tracks of the scammer.  Second, nowhere in the email does your name appear.  Third, the URL of the login page again has no relation to either Microsoft or Outlook.  It is important to remember that unlike the pre-Internet days when counterfeiting took skill, it is very simple to make a very convincing counterfeit email that looks like it is coming from a legitimate company.

As I often advise you, never click on a link in an email unless you have absolutely confirmed that it is legitimate.

For those of you receiving the Scam of the day through an email, I just want to remind you that if you want to see the ever increasing list of Coronavirus scams go to the first page of the http://www.scamicide.com website and click on the tab at the top of the page that indicates “Coronavirus Scams.”  Scamicide has been cited by the New York Times as one of three top sources for information about Coronavirus related scams.

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