Microsoft Account Puzzler

[David]

[Posting here on the assumption that anyone on uk.comp.homebuilt also watches here.]

At the moment I run my Windows PCs with local accounts (as far as I can tell - still checking).

Recently I have been getting notifications from Microsoft to a decades old but still used Ntlworld account (on the list of pawned accounts for ages) sending a validation code for a Microsoft account.

I can see that someone could use my email address to try and register a Microsoft account, but why? One of the first actions is to send an email to validate that you own the email address. I presume that is what I am getting.

Looking back in my emails is is a valid Microsoft account (but where am I using it?) and I last reset my password in September 2020.

Is someone trying to hack my Microsoft account? If so, why? I don't think I have any documents on OneDrive. Anyway, how would they get around the verification email address?

So, puzzled as to why anyone would try this when Microsoft have pretty robust 2FA in place.

Probably best to log onto the account again and look back through the history. From recent struggles recovering a compromised account there is good diagnostic information included IP address and location of any access attempts.

Anyone else seeing this?

Cheers

Dave R

[David]

Further wondering. I note that I have (at least) four Microsoft accounts judging by the emails for changes of terms and conditions and various password resets.

I am now wondering if some/all are tied into Skype.

I've recently revived one of my Skype accounts so must check the laptop isn't doing strange things, but I haven't knowingly asked for 2FA validation.

Very hard these days to tell if anything is genuine.

Cheers

Dave R

[jon]

I had something recently, where I suspected my Outlook account had been hacked. I received many emails all in Polish, but what took my particular attention was an Xbox game for £157.00. No money was taken from my bank account, because I haven't got a card linked M$ shop, so I rapidly changed my outlook password.

[David Wade]

The minister at a local church had is ntlworld.com account hacked recently. It was then used to send e-mails entitled "can you do me a favour" and saying simply "do you shop at amazon" to everyone mentioned in his in-box.

any one who responded was then told a relative was ill with terminal cancer (I think) but whos last wish was for gift card from Amazon to buy a book, but sadly his card had been declined, could you buy it for him?

He would of course refund you.

Not sure how the scam progresses, I assume the gift card is just the first step in obtaining your bank account details so you can be fully cleaned out...

.. but the crux is all the hack needs is access to an e-mail account with lots of addresses.

I suggest you change the password.

Dave

[John Rumm]

Sounds like the classic Nigerian scammer - it is less sophisticated than you expect. You buy a gift card, give them the number on it, they redeem it. Transaction over, move onto the next mark.

Indeed. You don't need that many bites per day if each successful one pulls in 50 or 100 quid at a time.

[David]

This ^ was the scam my friend was caught up in. However it relies on stealing a mailing list and asking for donations, or stealing an email account and emailing all known recipients then intercepting the replies.

As far as I can tell this isn't the case here.

I do note that from the previous scam a Microsoft email account (hotmail etc.) can receive M$ emails even though external emails are being diverted.

In this case I am receiving an email from Microsoft to an NTLWorld account so external emails are still being delivered, so again not this particular scam.

Yup - just checked and the expected emails are arriving as usual, including today.

Oh - on the Amazon Gift Card - that is just spending money where the transaction cannot be reversed (unlike banks, PayPal etc.) so very hard to get your money back.

Cheers

Dave R