Microsoft - password - reset account security details

Yorkie1

My Mum unfortunately fell for the Microsoft email scam which told her to click a link because her Microsoft / Outlook account needed to be updated in the next 48 hours. She input her email and password, so the scammers have those details now.

I think this was yesterday; she mentioned it in passing today.

Obviously, she needs to change her password. The trouble is that the mobile phone number associated with her MS account is her previous phone. We can't change the password without a verification security code being sent to the registered mobile number, so we tried to change her mobile number on the account. They have registered the requested change, but it takes 30 days to take effect, and you can't do anything else relating to the account settings until those 30 days have expired. (I completely understand the rationale behind this).

Am I right in thinking that we just have to wait for those 30 days to expire before we can change the password? Obviously, the scammers can't access the Change password feature either, I assume?

Or is there something else she / we can do (she is 83 and even looking for her SMS icon on her phone was challenging, and I'm hundreds of miles away ... ).

Thanks for any thoughts.

Vitor

If your mum reused her email address and Microsoft password for anything else (e.g. Amazon, Facebook, bank accounts), change those passwords immediately. Assume the attacker will try them.

Post what's happened into ChatGPT or AI of choice and follow the advice

Yorkie1

Thanks. I mentioned that to her - she says she doesn't use it for Amazon, doesn't have Fbk or banking. One of the benefits of having a relatively light footprint, I suppose!

Sicard

It's worth setting up at least a two-tier security system. One is the phone and the other is another email account in future. I can't help with the one tier security problem, sorry.

Yorkie1

Thanks - good shout indeed. Once the current security pause is over in 30 days, I'll be working that through with her.

I assume an iCloud email would suffice as another email account to the hotmail account?