A new attack designed to target Hotmail/MSN users has been discovered recently.
It involves an email purporting to come from “Team Windows Live” and warning Hotmail/MSN users that their account is at risk because someone is trying to log in from different computers, and has made multiple attempts to guess the password:
Part of this message states:
Verify your email address TO AVOID immediate account closure
We have recently noticed that different computers are trying to log in to your Hotmail account and incorrect passwords have been entered multiple times. We will suspend your account as it may have been used for fraudulent purposes. You will need to verify your account details immediately. Click “reply” and fill in the details below. Send your reply back to us or your account will be permanently suspended.
The email, which has the subject line “CONFIRMATION ALERT RESET (2013),” comes from an email address unofficial-looking@msn.com and urges users to respond via email with their full name, username, password, date of birth, and country in order to confirm their identity.
Of course, Microsoft would never ask you to verify your identity in this way – especially not by sending your password in an (unencrypted) email, Sophos says.
