Email from Microsoft

SouthernBelle

My dad got the following email today and I'm wondering if this is is genuine or a scam. He's 70+ with a pc and laptop that he just uses at home. MS Word is what he'd use most often. What would he be paying for,




Hello Firstname Surname

We're contacting you because we have been unable to charge the following PayPal Account for your Office 365 Personal services:

PayPal Account: xxxxxxxxxxx@gmail.com

PayPal Billing Agreement Id: B-XXXXX11111

Please update your Microsoft account with a valid payment option to avoid any service interruptions or to reactivate any suspended services. If payment is due for other Microsoft services purchased with the above PayPal Account, those services may also be affected.

To update your payment info, go to https://account.microsoft.com/payments.

Please disregard this notice if you have already resolved this issue.

Thank you!

Microsoft Office Team

Speedwell

If you slide your mouse (do not click) over the "https://account.microsoft.com/payments" link in the e-mail your dad was sent, and look at the bottom of the browser to see where the link actually goes, what do you see there?

Your dad can also access his account without going through the link on the e-mail. Here's a page describing how. https://support.office.com/en-ie/article/Use-PayPal-to-pay-for-Office-365-for-home-e9ec3a0c-bd9b-4106-b5be-d54dd76beff5 If the e-mail is a spoof, he will have no account or subscription with Microsoft or nothing showing up on his account related to that e-mail.

SouthernBelle

Speedwell wrote: »

If you slide your mouse (do not click) over the "https://account.microsoft.com/payments" link in the e-mail your dad was sent, and look at the bottom of the browser to see where the link actually goes, what do you see there?

Your dad can also access his account without going through the link on the e-mail. Here's a page describing how. https://support.office.com/en-ie/article/Use-PayPal-to-pay-for-Office-365-for-home-e9ec3a0c-bd9b-4106-b5be-d54dd76beff5 If the e-mail is a spoof, he will have no account or subscription with Microsoft or nothing showing up on his account related to that e-mail.

Thanks for the reply. I'm on my phone so will have to wait until I call to him to access a pc.

Would he have an annual subscription for Office 365? I thought once he purchased and installed it there were no further charges.

smuggler.ie

SouthernBelle wrote: »

To update your payment info, go to https://account.microsoft.com/payments.

Have followed link you provide in the post and it take me to Microsoft's account so looks genuine.

As stated above you can log in to account without using link provided. Has to be your dad's account.(guess that is the one

SouthernBelle wrote: »

xxxxxxxxxxx@gmail.com

)
Under your dad's account check Services & Subscriptions tab, should list all current subscriptions.

Also check PayPal for Billing agreement # and account name with PayPal. If it was purchased over PayPal check history

Office 365 comes as service not as software and it is charged per year/month. Different plans might include different conditions (see : https://www.microsoftstore.com/store/mseea/en_IE/cat/Office-365/categoryID.69943600?s_kwcid=AL!4249!3!74944750276!b!!g!!purchase%20ms%20%2Boffice%20%2B365&WT.mc_id=pointitsem+Google+Adwords+Office+365+-+EN&ef_id=V1mriwAAAU2tr-Bq:20160609174722:s&lc=1033 , here you can sign in with your liveID account) like for 1 PC or 5 PC's, etc.
Who install/activate Office365 on his PC and laptop?

Maybe someone know how it works if you take promotional free trial or alike - would you get some marketing targeting/pushing after promotion is over? I am using work resources so can't comment on that.

SouthernBelle

smuggler.ie wrote: »

Have followed link you provide in the post and it take me to Microsoft's account so looks genuine.

As stated above you can log in to account without using link provided. Has to be your dad's account.(guess that is the one )
Under your dad's account check Services & Subscriptions tab, should list all current subscriptions.

Also check PayPal for Billing agreement # and account name with PayPal. If it was purchased over PayPal check history

Office 365 comes as service not as software and it is charged per year/month. Different plans might include different conditions (see : https://www.microsoftstore.com/store/mseea/en_IE/cat/Office-365/categoryID.69943600?s_kwcid=AL!4249!3!74944750276!b!!g!!purchase%20ms%20%2Boffice%20%2B365&WT.mc_id=pointitsem+Google+Adwords+Office+365+-+EN&ef_id=V1mriwAAAU2tr-Bq:20160609174722:s&lc=1033 , here you can sign in with your liveID account) like for 1 PC or 5 PC's, etc.
Who install/activate Office365 on his PC and laptop?

Maybe someone know how it works if you take promotional free trial or alike - would you get some marketing targeting/pushing after promotion is over? I am using work resources so can't comment on that.

Thank you smuggler.ie.