Microsoft Teams is a useful collaboration tool, used for chatting with work or college peers, video calls, meetings, and sharing files between team members. Like all widely used apps, though, it’s become a target for scammers.
The Microsoft Team scam relies on users panicking when they’re added to a team without their consent. Read on to understand how this scam works and how to avoid it.
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How the Microsoft Team Scam Works
A Microsoft Teams member receives an email stating that they’ve been added to a team. Sometimes it will be a team name they recognize, such as the name of their workplace or university. These instances usually say there’s an urgent message to retrieve. Sometimes, it’s an unknown team, with a message claiming that access to this team requires a monthly subscription. Users are prompted to click through to confirm or decline the charge.
In both cases, the emails look very real, with Microsoft branding, fonts, and buttons similar to real Teams emails. The sense of urgency is what makes the Microsoft Team scam work. Users are worried about missing urgent work messages or being charged for fees they didn’t authorize. But when they click through, they’re clicking through to a site that’s not a real Microsoft site.
Users enter their credentials, and the scammer gains access to their Microsoft account. The Microsoft Team scam is a form of phishing, gathering account details to gain access to personal information and even find backdoors into protected networks.
What to Do if You Experience the Microsoft Team Scam
If you receive an email saying you’ve been added to a team, ignore it. Log in to Microsoft Teams using your app or browser as you normally would. If there are no notifications in Teams, you know it’s a scam.
You can also watch out for:
- Unusual characters, spelling, spacing, and other errors that make the email seem “off.”
- Any requests for login credentials.
- Prompts to open a browser or reply rather than simply directing you to the Teams app.
- Any requests for remote access.
Microsoft offers plenty of information on how to report phishing scams and other suspicious messages. Your own organization may also have a scheme in place to report phishing, so always check with your network administrator.
Once you’ve reported the email through the correct channels, delete it so you don’t accidentally click the link at a later date.
Protect Yourself From Online Scams
Microsoft will never ask you to confirm your credentials via email, and you won’t ever have to click through to a site to confirm your details. Do all your Teams activities within the app, and you won’t fall victim to the Microsoft Team scam.
For more information on common online scams, sign up for Scam Detector’s Scam Alerts. You’ll receive regular updates on new and ongoing scams, so you can use your online services more confidently.
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