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If you receive an e-mail message claiming to be from MSN (as shown below)
asking you to update “your information” to keep your account from being
“deactivated,” please do not respond. This is a hoax designed
to steal personal information including your MSN account password, credit card
number, mother’s maiden name, date of birth, and Social Security
number.
You may receive an e-mail message that looks like the one below. These e-mail messages are NOT from MSN; they are fake and could result in theft of your money or your identity if you respond to them.
Thieves entice you to click the link in the e-mail which takes you to a phony Web site (or pop-up window) where they hope you’ll “verify” this sensitive information. Depending on the information you may give, thieves can make purchases on your credit card, open bank accounts, take out loans, cash in on your government benefits—even commit crimes—all in your name.
These scams are commonly referred to as phishing. Learn more about phishing and how to avoid getting hooked.

If you've replied to one of these scams by entering some personal information, read What to do if you've responded to a phishing scam. There you’ll find a series of steps you can take to help lessen the impact of having responded, and help restore your credit and good name.
MSN will NEVER send unsolicited e-mail requesting personal or financial information. Because we care about your privacy, MSN will only ask subscribers to our premium services to update their personal account information at https://billing.microsoft.com, or http://membercenter.msn.com.
MSN is working both to block these e-mails from reaching your inbox and to remove phony Web sites. In addition, Microsoft works with law enforcement, including the FBI, and industry partners to help identify the cyber-criminals responsible for these attacks and to bring them to justice.
A special thanks to the vigilance of the many MSN members who reported receiving these fraudulent e-mail messages. Phishing scams target all kinds of businesses—banks, credit card companies, etc.—so be on alert for such scams, and continue to report them to the company that is being misrepresented following these instructions.
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