Received email notification From Microsoft about Deactivating Outlook Mail on 10/15/26

James Parry 0 Reputation points
2026-10-16T16:05:21.0466667+00:00

My friend has received several emails to her *.msn account regarding Outlook Mail being deactivated on 10/15/26.

It says if not complete by 10/20/26, that her mailbox may be deactivated and all stored data may be permantly deleted.

I told her I would check it out. The "from" addresses for these email messages she received look suspicious!

This sounds like a scam, so I wanted to get confirmation from Microsoft on whether this is real or a scam.

Outlook | Web | Outlook.com | Email

Answer accepted by question author

AI answer

2026-10-16T16:05:33.52+00:00

This is most likely a phishing scam, especially if the sender addresses look suspicious.

Signs that match phishing in this case:

  • Messages use urgency or fear, such as warning that the mailbox will be deactivated or data will be deleted.
  • The sender address does not use an official Microsoft support domain.
  • The message tries to push immediate action through links or attachments.

Microsoft support states that legitimate support emails use these domains:

  • microsoft.com
  • microsoftsupport.com
  • mail.support.microsoft.com
  • office365support.com
  • techsupport.microsoft.com

If the email came from a different domain, it is likely phishing.

What to do:

  1. Do not reply.
  2. Do not click links or open attachments.
  3. In Outlook, check for warning indicators such as an unverified sender (? in the sender image), a via tag, or yellow/red safety bars.
  4. If signing in is necessary, go directly to Outlook.com and verify the address bar includes login.live.com before entering a password.
  5. Mark the message as junk or phishing and delete it.
  6. If there is concern the account was already accessed, follow the Outlook.com account recovery guidance.

Outlook also shows signs of suspicious mail:

  • A ? in the sender image can mean the sender could not be verified.
  • A via tag can indicate the actual sending domain differs from the displayed From address.
  • A red safety bar means Outlook.com blocked something unsafe and the message should not be opened.

AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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  1. EmilyS726 273.4K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-10-16T16:40:43.3866667+00:00

    I've seen quite a few versions of such email floating around out there and they were all phishing scam.

    Typical warning sign -

    There would be links in the email body they want you to click. If you right click on the link, choose copy address, and paste it on a notepad for example, you can find the link is NOT a microsoft.com address. They are taking you to third party website to have you enter sensitive information so they can steal it.

    A legitimate email from Microsoft regarding your account always comes from domains ending in @accountprotection.microsoft.com

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