Where & How to Report Phishing of Your MSN Hotmail Email Account

Phishing refers to a type of spam message that appears to be sent by a legitimate organization (like a well-known bank or utility company) and asks the sender for some type of personal information to be sent by replying to the email message. These types of emails are very popular and can lead to identity theft. Fortunately, if you see a phishing e-mail, reporting it is a fairly straightforward process.

Copy the Content of the Email

The most important thing to do when you want to report a phishing scam is to copy the body of the message, as well as note specific information like the subject line and the sender's email, and then paste it into a word processing document. If the message contains links, make a note of the web address that they point to by right-clicking them and selecting "copy link location" from the submenu.

Send a New Message to Hotmail

Write a short note, detailing when you received the message, and then, in the subject line, write the sender's email address and any other information you found to be pertinent. Then paste the body of the phishing email into your new message, as well as copied links, and then send the whole thing to both of the following addresses: [e-mail] and [e-mail]

Copy Message to U.S. Government

The U.S. government takes spam--especially phishing scams--very seriously, and informing the government of the message can help aid in finding those behind the message and possibly even prosecuting them if any of the phishing scams were successful. Simply copy the information you pasted into your message to Hotmail, and then send it to the following address: [e-mail]

References

• Spam Links: Spam Reporting Addresses
• Indiana University Information Technology Services: What are phishing scams and how can I avoid them?