Recently I received two security alerts from Microsoft warning me someone had attempted to log into my account.
First of all, this account wasnt one I use often.
In fact, I cant remember the last time I logged into it.
My thinking was, whythisaccount, right now?
Second, they justseemedspammy.
The design of the emails didnt fit what I assumed Microsoft would put together.
Even the signatureThe Microsoft account teamthrew me, because I thought Microsoft would capitalize the full name.
Not damning, but it seemed overly complicated for an official email address.
So, I googled it, and found I wasnt alone.
There aresupport pages filled with peopleasking Um, is this spam, or am I actually in trouble?
I decided to log into my Microsoft account.
Lo and behold, someone had in fact gained access to it.
Of course, theres the smell test: Does this emailfeellike spam?
Are there spelling or grammar mistakes?
Is the formatting off?
Does it read like an official message, or more informal?
In most cases, if it seems fake, it probably is.
However, that doesnt always work, as seen in my experience here.
Check who really sent the email, too.
In my case, the address threw me, but it gave me something to Google.
Turns out, [email protected] is a real Microsoft support email.
Rarely will opening a spam email actually do you any harm.
Its the links within it (or any attachments) that are the real threat.
As such, always hover your cursor over the link to reveal its true URL.
However, if theres any doubt, dont opt for links.
Even though the hover trick checked out, I still avoided the link entirely.
And never open any attachments you dont recognize.
Remember, Google is your friend.
Cyberattacks are on the rise, so it never hurts to be careful.
Just check that you arentsocareful you letotherscammers through, too.
