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Email Scam: Did you receive an Email claiming we are closing all old versions of Yahoo Mailbox, and you must upgrade your version

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Have You Received a Scam Email?
Yahoo Mail, claiming "we are closing all old versions of Yahoo Mailbox", and you must "upgrade your version"

Did you receive an email from Yahoo Mail, claiming "we are closing all old versions of Yahoo Mailbox", and you must "upgrade your version"? Did they then instruct you to III or something similar?

Well, don't fall for it.  It is a scam, and if you call them back or follow their instructions you will lose money and possibly your identity! The link does not go to Yahoo, it goes to http://my-business-100426-101408.square.site/ or another NON-Yahoo corporate website. The people behind this are the worst kind of human scum; willing to do anything to scare, threaten, lie, cheat and steal money from anyone, including the elderly and poor. They usually operate out of Nigeria, China, Russia and even some developed western countries. Attachments typically include malware to infect your computer, tablet or phone and allow the scammer to capture your passwords.

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1. Report received:

   From: Yahoo Mail
   Sent: Monday, February 13, 2023 4:37 PM
   To: no-reply@cc.yahoo-inc.com
   Subject: PLEASE NOTE: Incoming Update On Hold ✅

   Dear Valued Customer 

   You're receiving this because we are closing all old versions of  Yahoo Mailbox, effective  February 13, 2023

   Please use the link below to secure your email account(s). 

   Update your version

    

   Sincerely,

   Yahoo.com

    

   Privacy Policy | Customer Support | Unsubscribe
   ©2022 Yahoo. All Rights Reserved.
   Yahoo Email, Box 65101, Dept 5627, Sterling, VA 20165-8805.

Information About Yahoo Mail, claiming "we are closing all old versions of Yahoo Mailbox", and you must "upgrade your version"

Yahoo gives the following advice on this Yahoo page.

 

Yahoo websites

If you're on a Yahoo website, the URL contains "yahoo.com". Another indication that the site is secure is the presence of the lock icon  in the address bar.

Yahoo requests

We never ask for personal info, such as credit cards or passwords, in emails. However, from time to time, we'll ask you to update your recovery info after signing in. You'll also get a notification titled "Your Yahoo account information has changed" if any info in your account settings are updated.

What Yahoo communications look like

• Viewing from web-based email - Emails from us include a Yahoo icon  next to the subject or sender. If you don't see it, then the email isn't from Yahoo.
• Viewing from 3rd-party apps - The Yahoo  icon won't appear in apps, even if the email is truly from us. Check the sender's email address without opening the email by mousing over the sender's name in your Inbox.

Reasons you'll receive notifications

• Your review of content on Yahoo (such as travel destinations and local businesses) received a response.
• There's important activity related to your account, such as password changes or expiration of a credit card you use to pay for any Yahoo services.

If you think your account has been compromised

• Change your Yahoo account password.
• Update or change your Yahoo account information.
• Contact your financial institution if you provided financial details.
• Visit the Safety Center to learn more ways to protect your privacy online.

 

There are several other websites that focus on reports of scam Emails.

The links below go to pages on these other websites were you can read reports about the scams associated with this phone number (Yahoo Mail, claiming "we are closing all old versions of Yahoo Mailbox", and you must "upgrade your version"):

• Microsoft Safety and Security Center
• Microsoft Community - Windows Support Scam - I was called by someone who said they were windows support and my computer was sending them warnings and messages!
• ARS Technica

 

It is a scam

Don't fall for it.  It is a scam.

What to do

Just ignore it and delete the email. Do not click on anything in the email.

Apple offers the following advice:

If you get a suspicious Email:
Scammers spoof phone numbers and use flattery and threats to pressure you into giving them information, money, and even iTunes gift cards. Always verify the caller's identity before you provide any personal information. If you get an unsolicited call from someone claiming to be from Apple, hang up and contact us directly.

Microsoft says:

Tech support scams are an industry-wide issue where scammers use scare tactics to trick you into paying for unnecessary technical support services that supposedly fix contrived device, platform, or software problems.
Scammers may call you directly on your phone and pretend to be representatives of a software company. They might even spoof the caller ID so that it displays a legitimate support phone number from a trusted company. They can then ask you to install applications that give them remote access to your device. Using remote access, these experienced scammers can misrepresent normal system output as signs of problems.

Cybercriminals don't just send fraudulent email messages and set up fake websites. They might also call you on the telephone and claim to be from Microsoft. They might offer to help solve your computer problems or sell you a software license. Once they have access to your computer, they can do the following:

Trick you into installing malicious software that could capture sensitive data, such as online banking user names and passwords. They might also then charge you to remove this software.

See these pages for guidance as applicable to your specific situation:

• If you are certain you don't owe a debt: What to do about harassing Emails
• If you may owe a debt: Debt collection Emails - what they may do, what the may not do and how to stop them
• If you are being harassed by the collector: file a compliant against a debt collector with the FTC - Use this form to submit a complaint to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Bureau of Consumer Protection about a particular company or organization..
• How to stop telemarketers

Protect Yourself:

The following documents and websites can help you learn more about phishing and how to protect yourself against phishing attacks.

• Avoiding Social Engineering and Phishing Attacks
• Protecting Your Privacy
• Understanding Web Site Certificates
• Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG)
• Federal Trade Commission, Identity Theft
• Recognizing and Avoiding Email Scams

Methods of Reporting Phishing Email to the US Government

• In Outlook Express, you can create a new message and drag and drop the phishing email into the new message. Address the message to phishing-report@us-cert.gov  and send it.
• In Outlook Express you can also open the email message^* and select File > Properties > Details. The email headers will appear. You can copy these as you normally copy text and include it in a new message tophishing-report@us-cert.gov .
• If you cannot forward the email message, at a minimum, please send the URL of the phishing website.

* If the suspicious mail in question includes a file attachment, it is safer to simply highlight the message and forward it. Some configurations, especially in Windows environments, may allow the execution of arbitrary code upon opening and viewing a malicious email message.

For More Information About Phishing, See:

• Click Here for a copy of NCL's Phishing Brochure.  Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader'.
• How Not to Get Hooked by a 'Phishing' Scam  [PDF version]
  Offers tips on how to avoid falling victim to a new type of spam scam in which consumers are deceived into handing over personal financial information.
• Is Someone "Phishing" for Your Information?  [PDF version]
  Cautions consumers about emails that claim to be from government agencies in an attempt to steal personal information.
• Digital PhishNet Web site.
• Phish Report Network - a cooperative effort by several companies providing an information clearinghouse that will be run by WholeSecurity, a provider of client-side security solutions.
• Internet Crime Prevention & Control Institute, a cooperative effort between Zero Spam Network Corp. and the University of Miami. Staffed by Miami undergraduate and graduate students and Zero Spam employees, works closely with the Secret Service's Electronic Crimes Task Force and ISPs in the United States and abroad to identify and block traffic to machines hosting phishing sites.
  • Report A Crime
  • FTC Fraud Reporting

There are several websites that focus on reports of scam Emails.

The links below go to pages on these other websites were you can read reports about the scams associated with this phone number (855-687-1444, claiming This is Microsoft. This call is to inform you that your Microsoft license key has expired):

• Microsoft Safety and Security Center
• Microsoft Community - Windows Support Scam - I was called by someone who said they were windows support and my computer was sending them warnings and messages!
• ARS Technica

Related Scams

There are a number of common telephone scams, such as:

• Collect Call scams
• Inmate collect call scams
• Phone service is about to be cut off
• Telemarketers

and some new and as yet, uncommon scams.

 

For a comprehensive list of national and international agencies to report scams, see this page.