Microsoft outage triggers warnings against scammers - 'Remain extra cautious'

Microsoft outage today has led Australia to issue a warning to its citizens, asking them to remain vigilant against scammers who could try to use the situation to their advantage. The country is facing several disruptions because of the outage, with hospitals, clinics, federal government departments and schools reporting problems.

"We urge Victorians to take extra caution against scammers by avoiding clicking on unexpected links they receive on their personal devices, or sharing personal details with callers claiming to be from banks or technology companies," a government spokesperson said. It added that it will "monitor the situation and will work through any potential impacts as required."

Also Read: Microsoft Outlook and Teams outage today: Was it a cyberattack or server error?

Australian banks, including ING and the Customer Owned Banking Association, and cybersecurity experts have also issued warnings about how scammers can exploit the outage.

Why are Australians being warned about scammers?

When major services face disruption, it creates an opening for cybercriminals to exploit the vulnerabilities and scam people. When there is confusion and urgency, it could lead them to launch social engineering attacks. Here is what you should know.

People are at risk of receiving fake IT support calls. Since it is not possible to email the IT help desks, it is possible to trust an unsolicited phone call from someone claiming to be from "Microsoft support" or their internal IT team, claiming that they can fix the problem. Scammers can trick victims into granting remote access to their devices and handing over login credentials, believing that they are fixing their systems.

Fraudsters can get people to download malicious software by sending them urgent text messages or emails, creating fear about their accounts, and saying that they must click a link to verify their account in order to reset their password to restore Microsoft 365 access.

When corporate email systems are not working, most businesses and other professionals rely on phone calls, text messages, and personal email accounts to communicate. Scammers can impersonate businesses or service providers, claiming they have "updated their contact or bank details" due to the outage, and tell people to redirect large payments.