Quick Q to everyone

[Bossanova]

Did anyone get an email claiming to be from the windows live team (on your hotmail email) saying there was a database error, and that you need to email them back with your account info? Also, it says your account will be deleted if you do not send them the info.

(note; I didn't email them back my info, just emailed back asking them to verify they're from the WLT.

 

[birdy]

Nope sounds like a hoax to me Grievous !

 

[Bossanova]

In case anyone wants to see;

Dear Account User,

We encountered a problem with our database and a lot of records were lost, we are restoring our database to enable us serve you better. Your Windows Live! Account details are required so as to store in our database to keep your account active. Failure to do this will lose his or her account permanently.

To update and enable us restore your account details in our data base to keep your account active, you are required to provide us the details below urgently. Click the reply button to enter details below.



Name: ……………………..
Username: ……………………..
Password: …………………….
Date of Birth: …………………

Country or Territory: …………


Make sure the details above are correct to enable us restore your account details, this will help prevent your account from been suspended.

Note:
YOUR DETAILS WILL NOT BE SHARED.
Users have often told us that the more they use Windows Live! Service, the more they discover its benefits. We'll keep working on making Windows Live! the best email service around, and we appreciate your joining us for the ride.

Sincerely,
Windows Live Alert Team

Microsoft Corporation

 

[birdy]

What utter rubbish glad you didn't reply ! I wouldn't reply to anything that asked for my user or pass like that - screams scam!

 

[Bossanova]

What utter rubbish glad you didn't reply ! I wouldn't reply to anything that asked for my user or pass like that - screams scam!

Psh, I'm smarter than that.

If they really think they can trick me, they're dead wrong.

 

[CyberFreak]

That is almost definitely fake. They will never need your login information. Additionally if there has been a database error already and they need your account details to store in the database, how come you can still use your account? If the damage is already done how will you suddenly lose your account?

Additionally the email is a generic email. If they ever wanted to send you something important they would add you name onto the email to show it is from them. Like paypal do. All real paypal emails start off with a greeting including your full name. Always be careful with generic greeted emails like that.

Also just reading it shows that it is not written by microsoft. The words/phrases this email uses are not words/phrases that Microsoft would use. I can't see Microsoft ever saying this "Click the reply button to enter details below." For a start the word your is missing before the word details. Additionally Microsoft would probably take the effort to make a page for you to visit and submit the details rather then just replying to an email.

 

[Bossanova]

It is a bit easy to tell it's fake, but I wanted to double check because I can't risk letting my Hotmail go down.

In the 'to' box, it was sent to: [email protected]

From the 'from' it was: [email protected]

Ya ya, I know, it's not an official WLT email address.

 

[Zenrer]

Thats what I always do, check the email, and I believe if it was lost, you would have no emails, and they send those sorts of things to your secondary email I believe.

 

[Raymond]

Also the team would be [email protected] just so people don't get fake like [email protected] or [email protected] they may use.

And they probably would of updated their twitter if it was legit.

 

[David]

I'm not sure replying was the best thing to do, Grievous. When you reply to such mail, it confirms that there is an end-user, which poses as a new target for more spam emails. Now, you are on a mailing list where a bot with spam you with emails.

 

[Nathan]

They will never ask for your account information, mark it as "phising scam".

If they really needed your account information, they'd just get it themselves.

 

[Bejay]

I had an account and it got hacked because of this. I wasn't thinking so I sent my password to some person and then last I found someone was on my account and I couldn't get into it. Glad you wasn't as dumb as me.

 

[Bossanova]

Also the team would be [email protected] just so people don't get fake like [email protected] or [email protected] they may use.

And they probably would of updated their twitter if it was legit.

Ya, true. twiiter? they have one? oh lawdy.

I'm not sure replying was the best thing to do, Grievous. When you reply to such mail, it confirms that there is an end-user, which poses as a new target for more spam emails. Now, you are on a mailing list where a bot with spam you with emails.

It ain't a big deal. 🙂 I got other emails to turn to. 😉

 

[Talk Horror]

I'm sure Microsoft would never ask you for your password,
and I'm sure they would already have all of your info on record.
So yea DON'T do it! It's probably a SCAM lol.

 

[Unknown Bliss]

lol. If their was a DB error, they would use the info from backups. Microsoft probably have hourly backups and keep them for years.

 

[Uphoreka]

Never got that because I'm not a Hotmail user.