How to Report Phishing in Outlook.com
To report to suspicious emails to Microsoft when using Outlook.com:
Why Report Phishing in Outlook?
A phishing scam is an email that looks legitimate but is actually an attempt to get personal information such as your account number, username, PIN code, or password. If you supply this information, hackers may gain access to your bank account, credit card, or information stored on a website. When you see one of these threats, don’t click anything in the email. Instead, you should report it so that the Microsoft team will take action to protect you and other users.
How to Protect Yourself From Phishing Scams
Reputable businesses, banks, websites, and other entities won’t ask you to submit personal information online. If you receive such a request, and you aren’t sure if it is legitimate, contact the sender by phone to see if the company sent the email. Some phishing attempts are amateurish and filled with broken grammar and misspellings, so they are easy to spot. However, some contain identical copies of familiar websites such as your bank’s to lull you into complying with the request for information. Common sense safety steps include:
Don’t reply to an email that asks for personal information.Don’t open or download files attached to suspicious emails.Don’t click any links that appear in the email.Search the web for the email subject line. If it is a hoax, other people may have reported it.
Be particularly suspicious of emails with subject lines and content that include:
A request to verify your account immediately or the sender will close itAn offer of a large sum of money in exchange for your account informationAn announcement that you’re the big winner in a lottery you don’t remember enteringA request for emergency financial help from a friend who is supposedly on vacationA threat of bad luck if you don’t replyA notification that your credit card has been hackedA request to forward the email to receive $500
