Microsoft has warned against following instructions in an e-mail that appears to have been sent from its offices, asking users of its software for customer information in order to be sent a new product key.
"It is definitely a hoax," says Colin Erasmus, lead for security at Microsoft South Africa. The subsidiary referred ITWeb`s query to head office, which confirmed the e-mail is a fake.
The text-only e-mail starts with the words "Click here to jump to main page con", and the underlying link does not resolve, which would appear to render the e-mail harmless and an obvious scam. One reason for this is that genuine Microsoft security updates are of a particular graphical design.
The link, http://badkeys.mircosoft.ch/, not immediately apparent to the recipient of the mail, is misspelled, as are other words in the e-mail, further casting doubt on its veracity.
The mail cites "validation issues with your Product Key for your Windows OS Platform" and states that the sender needs to validate the recipient`s information "so we can insure nobody else is using your product key".
It then asks the recipient to click on the link supplied, fill in the required fields and await an information package. Aside from obvious errors and the unresolved link, much of the wording is convincing, as it tallies with Microsoft update terminology.
Erasmus points to an e-mail authentication site hosted by Microsoft, which includes information on determining whether one has been sent a hoax. The site advises recipients to check that there are no attachments to the mail, the message is digitally signed and that the bulletin is listed on Microsoft.com.
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