Yesterday I received calls from three clients asking about an e-mail purportedly from Microsoft about a critical update for Outlook. The Subject line message is from Microsoft Update Center and the subject line “Microsoft has released an update for Microsoft Outlook“.
When I checked my inboxI noticed that I received two of these messages. At first glance they look like the real thing.
It’s a virus…don’t open it!
If you received one of these (or something similar) DELETE IT. The e-mail contains a fake software patch th t is actually a virus that attempts to steal login details and passwords. This is pretty nasty stuff.
This same e-mail was making the rounds back in June. Just like th e Black Plague of old, it seems to have come back.
For more information see this article from The SophosLabs Blog that explains the spam in more detail. If you’re an insomniac really curious read this detailed post from TalkTEch Live.
Bottom line. Microsoft doesn’t send messages like this, no matter how real they look. If you are ever uncertain about an e-mail like this copy and paste the subject line into the Google search box and chances are you will see a warning from someone. When in doubt delete.
Enjoy your weekend.
– Bob