Remove “Outlook – Upgraded Version Now Available” phishing email

The “Outlook – Upgraded Version Now Available” email falls into the phishing email category. The email claims that because Outlook has been upgraded, you need to upgrade your account. The email contains a link, which, if clicked, would take users to a phishing site.

 

 

“Outlook – Upgraded Version Now Available” is a pretty generic phishing email and should be easily identifiable by users. The email falsely claims that because Outlook has been upgraded, users need to upgrade their accounts as well. Supposedly, if users do not do that within 3 days, their accounts will be suspended and deleted.

The email contains a “Click here to upgrade to the new version” button. If you click on the button, you will be taken to a phishing website that’s closely imitating Outlook. The site may look very similar, to the point where it may be difficult to identify it as phishing. However, the URL will be clearly different so if you pay attention, the phishing attempt will be obvious.

If you type in your Outlook login credentials into the phishing site, they will be sent to the cybercriminals operating this phishing campaign. Email account login credentials are a hot commodity among cybercriminals, and for good reason. Most users use the same email account for years, and they contain a lot of personal information, from receipts to personal communication. This allows cybercriminals into users’ private lives and they can steal information they can later use to target users. Email accounts are also connected to many other accounts. Gaining access to someone’s email account could allow malicious actors to hijack other accounts connected to it. This is why users have to be very careful with their email account login credentials.

The full “Outlook – Upgraded Version Now Available” phishing email is below:

(UPGRADED VERSION NOW AVAILABLE)

Dear ********

In other to avoid De-activation. Please upgrade to our newly Updated version of your outlook account.

Your Mailbox will cease operating(closed-down),if you do not upgrade 3 days after receiving this notification.

CLICK HERE TO UPGRADE TO THE NEW VERSION

We will not be held responsible for the closure of your mail account. if you do not update as warned.

Thanks ,
2024 Security Account Team.

Signs of a phishing email

Most phishing attempts are quite generic, targeting many users with the same type of email. However, there are more sophisticated and harder-to-recognize phishing campaigns, though they typically focus on specific, high-profile targets. Fortunately for most users, they are likely to receive generic and easily recognizable phishing emails.

Malicious actors often disguise phishing emails to appear as if they are sent by legitimate companies. For example, this “Outlook – Upgraded Version Now Available” phishing email may seem to come from your email provider, specifically Outlook. However, it doesn’t look like an email Outlook would send in any way.

One key detail to notice is how the email addresses you. When you receive a message from a company whose services you use, you will usually be addressed by your name, not your username. This personal touch helps convey authenticity. In contrast, malicious actors typically do not have access to personal information, unless the phishing attempt is very advanced. Therefore, phishing emails often use generic terms like “Customer,” “Member,” or “User” to address recipients. Generic phishing emails may also use usernames, as is the case with this “Outlook – Upgraded Version Now Available” phishing email. If this was an email from your email provider, they would address you by the name you used to register.

Additionally, grammar and spelling mistakes are clear signs of a phishing email. Legitimate companies typically avoid such mistakes because they come across as unprofessional—especially in automatically generated emails. However, phishing emails generally have a lot of mistakes, as is the case with this “Outlook – Upgraded Version Now Available” phishing email.

Phishing emails almost always claim that there’s an issue with your account, pressuring you to click on links provided in the email. This tactic is common, as seen in the “Outlook – Upgraded Version Now Available” phishing email. Rather than clicking on any links, it’s safer to log in to your account manually to check for any actual issues. This precaution should be taken even if the email appears legitimate.

Finally, before you log in anywhere, always check the site’s URL. Phishing sites are designed to look identical to legitimate ones, but the URL will often reveal whether they are legitimate. If a site’s URL appears suspicious in any way, do not enter your login credentials.

“Outlook – Upgraded Version Now Available” phishing email removal

If you receive this email, delete “Outlook – Upgraded Version Now Available” phishing email from your inbox. If you have clicked the button and entered your login credentials, you must change your email account password immediately. If you are unable to access your email account, contact your provider for assistance in recovering it. If recovery is not possible, make sure to disconnect your email from any other linked accounts to prevent them from being compromised as well.