MailGuard has intercepted a deceptive phishing campaign that impersonates Microsoft Teams, luring users with a fake voicemail alert. The goal is credential harvesting, and it uses advanced redirection techniques and a convincing fake Microsoft login page to trick users into handing over their account credentials.
A closer look at the scam
The email, titled “Global Metcorp LTD – Transcribed Call”, claims to contain a voice message and appears to come from a legitimate address hosted by a New Zealand telecom provider. The attacker has likely compromised this address to bypass email filters and gain credibility.
Here's what the email looks like 👇
The message includes a short message snippet and urges the user to “Get full voice message” by clicking a link labelled Record/Play.wav.
What happens when you click?
1. Media Playback Decoy
The user lands on a fake audio player interface showing a play button.
2. Credential Harvesting Page
Interaction with the player redirects to a spoofed Microsoft login screen. The site closely mimics Microsoft’s legitimate styling and branding.
3. Password Capture
After entering the email address, users are prompted to input their password.
4. Account Lock Deception
Once credentials are submitted, the victim is shown a fake “Sign-in blocked” notice — a tactic designed to confuse users while attackers harvest credentials in the background.
5. Redirect to Legitimate Site
Afterward, victims are redirected to a well-known site such as eBay or Amazon to close the loop and mask the attack.
Why this attack is concerning
While the email layout is relatively generic and lacks the polish of official Microsoft communications, the phishing page itself is highly sophisticated. It:
- Accurately mimics Microsoft’s login experience
- Obfuscates code to hide malicious behavior
- Uses Cloudflare to conceal hosting infrastructure and avoid detection
- Detects developer tools/debugging attempts to thwart analysts
This combination of social engineering and technical concealment is increasingly common and dangerous.
What to watch for
Sender Name: Purportedly Microsoft Teams, but sent from a compromised New Zealand-based email domain
File Type: The link suggests a WAV file (voicemail), but the redirection leads to credential theft
Red Flags: Vague branding, lack of direct recipient name, off-brand domains and deceptive redirects
Stay Safe - Know the Signs
MailGuard advises all recipients of these emails to delete them immediately without clicking on any links. Responding or providing personal details can lead to identity theft, data breaches, and financial losses.
Avoid emails that:
- Aren’t addressed to you personally.
- Are unexpected and urge immediate action.
- Contain poor grammar or miss crucial identifying details.
- Direct you to a suspicious URL that isn’t associated with the genuine company.
Many businesses turn to MailGuard after a near miss or incident. Don't wait until it's too late. Reach out to our team for a confidential discussion by emailing expert@mailguard.com.au or calling 1300 30 44 30.
One Email Is All That It Takes
All that it takes to devastate your business is a cleverly worded email message that can steal sensitive user credentials or disrupt your business operations. If scammers can trick one person in your company into clicking on a malicious link or attachment, they can gain access to your data or inflict damage on your business.
For a few dollars per staff member per month, you can protect your business with MailGuard's specialist, 'zero zero-day' email security. Special Ops for when speed matters! Our real-time 'zero zero-day', email threat detection amplifies our client’s intelligence, knowledge, security and defence. Talk to a solution consultant at MailGuard today about securing your company's inboxes.
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