Microsoft account unusual sign in activity

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For answers to common questions, including how to get back into a compromised account and secure or close it, see What is the Recent activity page? If you're concerned that someone might have access to your account, we strongly recommend that you change your password and update security settings. You can do that on the Security settings page , where you can also remove all trusted devices. To learn more about account management and security, see Security basics. See your recent activity. Get more help protecting your Microsoft account.

Microsoft account unusual sign in activity

Recently, a lot of people have been getting emails about unusual sign-in activity on their Microsoft accounts. Anyone would assume this is being sent by the Microsoft Accounts Team based on the sender address, email composition, and other details. Microsoft never sends such phishing emails if your account has not been successfully signed in. The real emails from Microsoft always appear in the Inbox folder, while the fake emails typically land in the Junk Email folder, which is crucial. Actually, the main goal of sending these strange Sign-in Activity emails is to persuade users to click the links in the email. Read how to secure your email account from hackers. These unusual sign-in activity fake emails have nearly identical information fields and even the same sender address as the real email notifications sent by Microsoft. Therefore, it is crucial to understand how to tell these fake emails apart from real emails, which I will explain in more detail in the following section of this article. The goal of this article is to help my readers and make them aware of such fake Microsoft emails and prevent account hacks that are being attempted by attackers every moment. Let me show you an example of a fake Microsoft Account unusual sign-in activity email and the details included in such emails. This email landed in the Junk Email folder of my Microsoft Account as it failed to pass the security checks. Unusual sign-in activity We detected something unusual about a recent sign-in to the Microsoft account username hotmail. As per the above email, the account was accessed from the United States with a given IP address. The email also displays the browser and OS platform, along with the date and time the account was accessed.

Was this information helpful? If you see anything suspicious in the Recent activity section such as multiple sign-in attempts or profile changes you didn't makeselect Secure your account. Additional verification requested As an extra authentication step, you received a security code by text, email, or authenticator app.

Microsoft prioritizes account security and works to prevent people from signing in without your permission. When we notice a sign-in attempt from a new location or device, we help protect the account by sending you an email message and an SMS alert. If your phone number or email changes, it's important to promptly update the security contact info on the Security basics page so we can work with you to keep your account secure and active. If you sign in to your account while traveling or if you install a new app that signs in with your account, you may get an alert. We just need you to provide a security code so we know it was you, and that your account is safe. To learn what you can do about unusual activity, select one of the following headings.

In this article we take a look at a phishing campaign that pretends to be an "Unusual sign-in activity" alertfrom Microsoft that could easily trick someone into clicking on the enclosed link. With companies such as Google and Microsoft commonly sending users alerts when unusual activity has been discovered on their account, users may feel its normal to receive them and would then click on the enclosed link. Attackers are capitalizing on this by sending emails that pretend to be "Microsoft account unusual sign-in activity" alerts from Microsoft. When compared to the legitimate email notifications sent by Microsoft, they look almost identical with the same information fields and even the same sender address of "account-security-noreply accountprotection. What's different, though, is that when you click on the "Review recent activity" email link, instead of going to Microsoft to review your account's sign-in activity, you are brought to a fake landing page on a non-Microsoft site that asks you to login. When a victim enters their credentials, the information will be saved for the phishers to retrieve later so that they can access your account. No matter what credentials are entered in the fake login form, the user will always be redirected to an error page on Microsoft's live. This is to make it look like there is a problem with your account and that nothing strange is going on.

Microsoft account unusual sign in activity

The Recent activity page shows you when and where you've used your Microsoft account within the last 30 days. You can expand any listed activity to see location details and find out how the account was accessed—using a web browser, phone, or another method. If you see only a Recent activity section on the page, you don't need to confirm any activity. However, if you see an Unusual activity section, it's important to:. Let us know whether the activity was you or not. When you expand an activity, you can choose This was me or This wasn't me. These options are only in the Unusual activity section, so if you see them, we need your response. With your help, we can rule out false threats and block unauthorized access more quickly.

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Karl Timmermans Independent Advisor. Therefore, it is crucial to understand how to tell these fake emails apart from real emails, which I will explain in more detail in the following section of this article. If you sign in to your account while traveling or if you install a new app that signs in with your account, you may get an alert. We don't show all account activity. However, this is great news for everybody else. Two-step verification turned on; Two-step verification turned off. First things first, you must verify the authenticity of the email. Pictures helped. Microsoft Insiders. We think someone else accessed your Microsoft account. Microsoft account More Two-step verification helps protect you by making it more difficult for someone else to sign in to your Microsoft account. Top Contributors in Outlook:.

Microsoft prioritizes account security and works to prevent people from signing in without your permission.

Explore subscription benefits, browse training courses, learn how to secure your device, and more. The location, IP address, and sender email address of the email that you received may differ in your case. Easy to follow. Additional verification requested As an extra authentication step, you received a security code by text, email, or authenticator app. We may have blocked your sign-in if you're using a new device, if you installed a new app, or if you're traveling or in any new location. Alternate email added; Alternate email deleted; Identity verification app added; Identity verification app deleted; Phone number added; Phone number deleted; Recovery code added You've added or removed a piece of security info to your account. March 11, Top Contributors in Outlook:. It continues:. To learn more about the Recent activity page, select one of the following headings. Let us know whether the activity was you or not. Learn more about app passwords. Linked accounts.