How to identify fake "Office 365 Password Reset Request" emails

What kind of email is "Office 365 Password Reset Request"?

Our inspection of this "Office 365 Password Reset Request" email revealed that it is fake. This spam message is presented as password reset assistance. The purpose of this phishing mail is to deceive recipients into disclosing their Microsoft 365 account log-in credentials.

"Office 365 Password Reset Request" email scam overview

The spam email with the subject "UNRESOLVED REMITTANCE" (may vary) is presented as a password reset assistance message for the Microsoft 365 account. It provides steps on how to carry out the credential reset.

It must be stressed that the information in this email is false, and this mail is not associated with the Microsoft 365 collaboration and cloud-based service bundle or its developer – the Microsoft Corporation.

The promoted phishing site imitates the Microsoft 365 account sign-in page. Webpages of this kind are designed to record provided data and send it to scammers. Stolen accounts can be variously misused; cyber criminals may even attempt to steal connected accounts, platforms, and services (e.g., emails, file transferring, cloud storage, social networking, social media, entertainment, e-commerce, money transferring, online banking, etc.).

Criminals can target accounts of services like those provided by Microsoft 365, as they are commonly used in corporate environments. Hence, by hijacking such an account, cyber criminals may open an avenue for infecting the corporate network with trojans, ransomware, or other malware.

To expand upon how the unauthorized access may be abused, scammers can steal the identity of an account owner and request loans or donations, endorse scams, and proliferate malware by sharing malicious links/files. Stolen finance-related accounts can be used to make fraudulent transactions or online purchases.

In summary, by trusting an email like "Office 365 Password Reset Request" – users can experience system infections, severe privacy issues, financial losses, and identity theft.

If you have disclosed your account credentials – immediately change the passwords of all potentially compromised accounts and inform their official support.

Phishing spam campaign examples

We have investigated numerous spam campaigns; "Your Email Has Stopped Working", "Routine Account Check", "Approved Salary Amount", and "DHL Express Parcel Misplacement" are merely a few of our latest articles on phishing emails.

Aside from this type of scams, others commonly promoted through spam mail include refund, advance fee, technical support, sextortion, etc. These messages are also used in malware distribution.

Due to how prevalent spam mail is and how well-crafted it can be – we strongly recommend caution with incoming emails, PMs/DMs, SMSes, and other messages.

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Spam campaigns proliferate malware by distributing virulent files as attachments or download links. These files come in different formats, e.g., archives (RAR, ZIP, etc.), executables (EXE, RUN, etc.), documents (Microsoft Office, Microsoft OneNote, PDF, etc.), JavaScript, and so forth.

Merely opening a malicious file can be enough to jumpstart the malware download/installation chain. Some formats need additional interaction to initiate the infection chain. For example, Microsoft Office files require users to enable macro commands (i.e., editing/content), while OneNote documents need them to click on embedded links or files.

How to avoid installation of malware?

We highly recommend vigilance with incoming emails and other messages. Attachments or links found in suspect/irrelevant mail must not be opened, as they can be harmful or infectious.

It must be mentioned that malware is not spread exclusively via spam mail. Therefore, we advise caution when browsing since fraudulent and malicious online content usually appears legitimate and harmless.

Another recommendation is to download only from official and verified channels. Programs must be activated and updated using legitimate functions/tools, as illegal activation tools ("cracks") and third-party updates can contain malware.

It is essential to have a reputable antivirus installed and kept up-to-date. Security software must be used to run regular system scans and to remove detected threats and issues. If you've already opened malicious attachments, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate infiltrated malware.

Text presented in the "Office 365 Password Reset Request" spam email letter:

Subject: UNRESOLVED REMITTANCE

Office 365 Password Reset Request

We're assisting you with resetting your Office 365 password.

To reset your password, please follow these steps:

1. Go to the Click on "Forgot my password" and enter your username.
2. Follow the prompts to reset your password.

If you need help, contact our support team.

Best regards,

Screenshot of the phishing website promoted by the "Office 365 Password Reset Request" spam campaign:

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Quick menu:

• What is "Office 365 Password Reset Request" phishing email?
• Types of malicious emails.
• How to spot a malicious email?
• What to do if you fell for an email scam?

Types of malicious emails:

Phishing Emails

Most commonly, cybercriminals use deceptive emails to trick Internet users into giving away their sensitive private information, for example, login information for various online services, email accounts, or online banking information.

Such attacks are called phishing. In a phishing attack, cybercriminals usually send an email message with some popular service logo (for example, Microsoft, DHL, Amazon, Netflix), create urgency (wrong shipping address, expired password, etc.), and place a link which they hope their potential victims will click on.

After clicking the link presented in such email message, victims are redirected to a fake website that looks identical or extremely similar to the original one. Victims are then asked to enter their password, credit card details, or some other information that gets stolen by cybercriminals.

Emails with Malicious Attachments

Another popular attack vector is email spam with malicious attachments that infect users' computers with malware. Malicious attachments usually carry trojans that are capable of stealing passwords, banking information, and other sensitive information.

In such attacks, cybercriminals' main goal is to trick their potential victims into opening an infected email attachment. To achieve this goal, email messages usually talk about recently received invoices, faxes, or voice messages.

If a potential victim falls for the lure and opens the attachment, their computers get infected, and cybercriminals can collect a lot of sensitive information.

While it's a more complicated method to steal personal information (spam filters and antivirus programs usually detect such attempts), if successful, cybercriminals can get a much wider array of data and can collect information for a long period of time.

Sextortion Emails

This is a type of phishing. In this case, users receive an email claiming that a cybercriminal could access the webcam of the potential victim and has a video recording of one's masturbation.

To get rid of the video, victims are asked to pay a ransom (usually using Bitcoin or another cryptocurrency). Nevertheless, all of these claims are false - users who receive such emails should ignore and delete them.

How to spot a malicious email?

While cyber criminals try to make their lure emails look trustworthy, here are some things that you should look for when trying to spot a phishing email:

• Check the sender's ("from") email address: Hover your mouse over the "from" address and check if it's legitimate. For example, if you received an email from Microsoft, be sure to check if the email address is @microsoft.com and not something suspicious like @m1crosoft.com, @microsfot.com, @account-security-noreply.com, etc.
• Check for generic greetings: If the greeting in the email is "Dear user", "Dear @youremail.com", "Dear valued customer", this should raise suspiciousness. Most commonly, companies call you by your name. Lack of this information could signal a phishing attempt.
• Check the links in the email: Hover your mouse over the link presented in the email, if the link that appears seems suspicious, don't click it. For example, if you received an email from Microsoft and the link in the email shows that it will go to firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0... you shouldn't trust it. It's best not to click any links in the emails but to visit the company website that sent you the email in the first place.
• Don't blindly trust email attachments: Most commonly, legitimate companies will ask you to log in to their website and to view any documents there; if you received an email with an attachment, it's a good idea to scan it with an antivirus application. Infected email attachments are a common attack vector used by cybercriminals.

To minimise the risk of opening phishing and malicious emails we recommend using Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows. 

Example of a spam email:

What to do if you fell for an email scam?

• If you clicked on a link in a phishing email and entered your password - be sure to change your password as soon as possible. Usually, cybercriminals collect stolen credentials and then sell them to other groups that use them for malicious purposes. If you change your password in a timely manner, there's a chance that criminals won't have enough time to do any damage.
• If you entered your credit card information - contact your bank as soon as possible and explain the situation. There's a good chance that you will need to cancel your compromised credit card and get a new one.
• If you see any signs of identity theft - you should immediately contact the Federal Trade Commission. This institution will collect information about your situation and create a personal recovery plan.
• If you opened a malicious attachment - your computer is probably infected, you should scan it with a reputable antivirus application. For this purpose, we recommend using  Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows.
• Help other Internet users - report phishing emails to Anti-Phishing Working Group, FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, National Fraud Information Center and U.S. Department of Justice.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Why did I receive this email?

Spam emails are not personal, even if they include details of such nature. Cyber criminals send these messages out in mass-scale campaigns – hence, thousands of users receive identical or incredibly similar emails.

I have provided my personal information when tricked by this spam email, what should I do?

If you have provided your log-in credentials – immediately change the passwords of all possibly exposed accounts and inform their official support. However, if you have disclosed other private information (e.g., ID card details, passport photos/scans, credit card numbers, etc.) – contact relevant authorities without delay.

I have read a spam email but didn't open the attachment, is my computer infected?

Reading an email is harmless; systems are infected when malicious attachments or links are opened/clicked.

I have downloaded and opened a file attached to a spam email, is my computer infected?

File formats may influence infection success rates. Once opened, executables cause infections almost without fail. However, some formats – like documents – might require additional actions (e.g., enabling macros, clicking embedded content, etc.) – to initiate malware infiltration.

Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections present in email attachments?

Combo Cleaner is designed to scan computers and eliminate all kinds of threats. It is capable of detecting and removing most of the known malware infections. Remember that performing a complete system scan is paramount since high-end malicious programs usually hide deep within systems.