telephone call claiming to be microsoft scam

Report the caller at https://www.microsoft.com/reportascam, do not provide the texted code, and block the caller’s number.

Microsoft does not make unsolicited support calls, and a caller asking for a verification code should be treated as fraudulent. Caller ID can also be spoofed to display a legitimate-looking number.^1^

Report and document the attempt

1. Open https://www.microsoft.com/reportascam and submit the phone-scam details.^1^
2. Include the date and time, displayed phone number, what the caller claimed, and that they requested a verification code.
3. Do not call the number back. Block it through your phone’s recent-calls list.
4. If money, identity documents, or financial information were disclosed, also contact the relevant bank and local law enforcement.

If you did not give them the code

The code may have been generated because someone tried to access your account, although it can also result from someone entering the wrong phone number or email address.^2^

• Ignore the code and never read it to anyone.
• Do not follow links supplied by the caller or in an unexpected message.
• Manually enter https://account.microsoft.com in your browser and review your account’s security information and recent activity.
• If you see activity or security changes you do not recognize, change the password immediately and follow the compromised-account process below.

If you did give them the code

Treat the account as potentially compromised:

1. End the call and use a trusted device.
2. On a Windows PC, run Windows Security → Virus & threat protection → Scan options → Full scan → Scan now.
3. Change or reset the Microsoft account password.
4. Check Outlook.com settings for unfamiliar connected accounts, forwarding rules, and automatic replies.
5. Use Microsoft’s compromised-account recovery process if you cannot sign in.^3^

If the caller persuaded you to install software or allowed remote access, uninstall that software, run a full security scan, apply Windows updates, and consider resetting the device. A reset is disruptive, so reserve it for cases where remote access was granted or suspicious behavior continues.^1^

References

1. Protect yourself from tech support scams | Microsoft Support
2. Why is Microsoft texting me? | Microsoft Support
3. How to recover a hacked or compromised Microsoft account | Microsoft Support