Received phone calls claiming to be from MS about a security breach on my account

Rob Kirby 0 Reputation points
2026-11-10T20:36:00.86+00:00

I'm guessing this is a phishing/fraudulent incident, but someone called me from 415-891-7003 and then from 800-642-7676 concerning my hotmail account. According to this individual, someone initiated a live chat to add an additional backup e-mail to the account from an IP address several states away. Eventually, they got to the point where I received a "password reset" SMS message with a code, which I declined to give the individual on the phone. They tried to convince me they were legitimate by then sending me an e-mail from ******@microsoft.com.14561.id claiming that the 14561.id was an unique e-mail assigned to this case.

I got home and logged into my account and did not see anything security wise attached to my account.

So I'm guessing this was a semi-sophisticated phishing attempt?

Outlook | Web | Outlook.com | Account management, security, and privacy
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AI answer

2026-11-10T20:36:16.6366667+00:00

Yes. This matches a scam or phishing attempt, not legitimate Microsoft support behavior.

Key signs from the details provided:

  1. Unsolicited phone calls claiming there is a problem with the account are a common tech support scam pattern.
  2. The caller tried to get a verification or password reset code. If a code was not requested, it can mean someone is trying to access the account.
  3. Microsoft says it will never proactively reach out to provide unsolicited technical support.
  4. A genuine unusual sign-in alert may come by email or text, but the purpose is for account verification through official channels, not to read the code to a caller.
  5. If unsure whether a message is genuine, the safe action is to avoid links and sign in directly at https://account.microsoft.com or https://account.live.com, which was already done.

What the supported information indicates:

  • Microsoft uses text messages for security verification codes and alerts related to account activity.
  • If a text or code was not requested, it could mean someone is trying to access the account, or someone entered the wrong phone number.
  • Tech support scammers often call pretending to be Microsoft and try to create urgency, ask for personal information, or get remote access.
  • Legitimate unusual sign-in emails from Microsoft account protection come from ******@accountprotection.microsoft.com.

Based on the account check described, not seeing unexpected security changes after signing in directly is consistent with a failed scam attempt.

References:

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

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