E-mail phishers targeting Xbox Live accounts

by Kyle Orland { Sep 11th 2007 at 5:23PM }

Stealing your bank account or credit card information is one thing, but now e-mail phishers are going after something truly important: Your Xbox Live account. Xbox.com forum-goer Whagi reports on an e-mail he received, purportedly from Xbox Support, announcing new features on his Xbox Live account. The e-mail links to a supposed Microsoft passport login page that's actually a phishing site designed to capture your login information.

The problem goes deeper than your Xbox -- if you use your Passport account for other Microsoft services, the phishers could have access to a lot of sensitive information. The same e-mail has reportedly been received by other users in the U.S. and U.K.

It probably goes without saying, but if you get a similar e-mail, delete it immediately. If you accidentally use the link, change your password immediately. And don't trust random e-mails to notify you about new Xbox Live updates -- that's what we're here for, after all.

[Update: Microsoft has acknowledged the scam and reportedly taken action.]

Tags: e-mail, phishing, scam, Xbox Live, XboxLive

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

the_game_master @ Sep 11th 2007 5:31PM

Checking your email today has become such a chore that I rarely bother to look at it anymore, only for the important stuff.

the_game_master @ Sep 11th 2007 5:32PM

Checking your email today has become such a chore that I rarely bother to look at it anymore, only for the important stuff.

hvnlysoldr (NDF - Wind Ring) @ Sep 11th 2007 5:54PM

Then you won't mind if we send email telling you that your comment has been replied to and the link doesn't even bring you to the article.

hotnutz @ Sep 11th 2007 6:02PM

"I rarely bother to look at it anymore"

Apparently you rarely bother to look at where you click on the screen or how often you click too.

Quick question - how do you know if your email is important without reading it first?

Poisoned Al @ Sep 11th 2007 6:27PM

Oh come on, everybody double posts now and then. It's easy to do. It's when it's a moron who thinks if you keep clicking reply it'll go faster you should berate.

the_game_master @ Sep 11th 2007 6:30PM

"Quick question - how do you know if your email is important without reading it first?"
I usually know in advance when I access my email on if I'm receiving something important, and I don't have to open up each recieved mail to read if its important, if the From field and Subject looks suspicioius I'd trash it.

waves @ Sep 11th 2007 7:13PM

hvnlysoldr, man I hate those. Not only do they not take you to the thread, they take you to a page of just ads. Thanks joystiq.

I'm going to figure out how to turn that shit off right now.

WiNG @ Sep 11th 2007 5:49PM

Damn Nigerian scammers. Always trying to get 1337 gamerscores without all the achievement grind effort!

Zertoss @ Sep 11th 2007 5:50PM

Hello, I am John Smith, an attorney representing the late Phil Johnson. He left 2.5 billion Microsoft Points and with no will, they will go to his relatives. You are his only relative, so I need your Xbox Live account information to transfer his vast fortune to you. Please email your Xbox Live account information to me so I can get this sorted out ASAP.