Unsure if e mail from Microsoft is genuine

Alastair Hunter 0 Reputation points
2026-10-09T17:11:49.8933333+00:00

Received e mail from msa@******@alert.com

it states Dear Microsoft user, we have received request to cancel your Microsoft account. If you wish to proceed confirm below.

Click here to upgrade your account security. If you made this request in error cancel below

Cancel This Request

E Mail service team

is this e mail from Microsoft?

Microsoft Security | Microsoft Identity Manager
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  1. Erland Sommarskog 137.9K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2026-10-09T17:31:55.3366667+00:00

    No, that is not mail from Microsoft. That is a typical scam. Just ignore and make a hard delete on it.

    Tip: When you get a mail that asks you click on something, hover over the link and check the status bar to see the address. Is the URL pointing to something unrelated, it is a scam. If it ends in microsoft.com, check that it actually says microsoft.com and not micorsoft.com or similar.

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  2. AI answer

    2026-10-09T17:12:06.0666667+00:00

    No. An email from msa@******@alert.com is not a genuine Microsoft support or Microsoft account email.

    Microsoft account security emails are trusted when they come from the @accountprotection.microsoft.com domain. Microsoft support emails use domains such as microsoft.com, microsoftsupport.com, mail.support.microsoft.com, office365support.com, or techsupport.microsoft.com. A different domain is a strong phishing indicator.

    The message content is also suspicious:

    • It asks to click links to “upgrade your account security” or “cancel this request.”
    • It uses urgency around account cancellation.
    • It uses a generic signature like “E Mail service team.”

    Recommended actions:

    1. Do not click any links or open attachments.
    2. Delete or report the message as phishing.
    3. Check recent sign-in activity on the Microsoft account at the Recent activity page to verify whether there was any real account activity.
    4. If any link was already clicked or credentials were entered, change the Microsoft account password immediately and review security settings.

    References:

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

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