According to this email, which purports to be from AOL, your account will be cancelled if you do not click a link to “switch to the new AOL OATH”.
The message claims that the switch is necessary because AOL and Yahoo teamed up in 2017 to become one company called Oath.
However, the message is not from AOL or Oath and the link opens a fraudulent website. It is a phishing scam designed to steal your AOL account login credentials.
It is true that Verizon has formed a new subsidiary called “Oath” that incorporates both Yahoo and AOL. The deal was completed in June 2017. In this case, the scammers have capitalized on news of the merger to make their fake message seem more credible.
And, in a further attempt to make the email seem legitimate, the scammers have copied some of the text from a genuine Oath email that informed users about changes to the company’s privacy policy.
But, to reiterate, the email has no connection to Oath and it is not true that your account will be cancelled if you do not click the link.
If you do click the link, a fake AOL login screen will load in your browser. The login screen asks for your username or email address as well as your account password. If you enter this information and click the sign in button, you will then be automatically redirected to the genuine AOL website.
But, now the scammers can collect your login information and use it to hijack your AOL account. Once they have gained entry to your account, they can steal information you have stored there and use the account to launch further spam and scam campaigns in your name. They may also be able to access any services that are linked to the same account.
If you receive one of these emails, do not follow any links or open any attachments that it contains.
It is always safest to login to all of your online accounts by entering the address into your browser’s address bar or via a trusted app. If a company does require that you make changes to your account such as agreeing to an updated privacy policy, you will generally be informed of this via a message you see after you log in.
Update: New Version
In April 2019, another version of the message began hitting inboxes. The new version falsely claims that your “AOL email address will stop working after 20th of APRIL 2019 unless you switch to AOL OATH”. Again, the button in the email opens a fraudulent website designed to steal your account login details. (See second screenshot below for an example of the scam email.
An example of the scam email:
A second version:
4 comments
I ve been receiving this almost daily since May can you get it removed or tell me the best way to deal with it I haven’t opened it
Same here Margaret, getting really fed up with it now, I have just forwarded about a dozen of them to the AOL abuse/phishing site, I have forwarded several to them recently but only had a couple of replies confirming that they are scam.
perhaps its time to go back to talking on the telephone and using U.S. Mail – I don’t believe there is anything safe on the computer any more. Where is Bill Gates when you need him???????
I have an aol account and kept getting the emails (shown below). I called AOL customer services to check and they confirmed that yes Oath was part of AOL and that was fine to do. After I did it there was no return email and I didnt get put through to an AOL site so now I am worried. What can I do to check?
Kindest Regards
Karen
Important Information About Your AOL – Email Service
Hello,
As you’ve used your email address in the last 90 days, we need to let you know about some changes we’re making.
We’re closing some of our older email services. That means your AOL email address will stop working after 15th Feb, 2019 unless you switch to AOL OATH. If you don’t, you’ll lose your email address as well as the folders and messages associated with it.
Please take some time to switch and agree to the new unified Terms of Service and Privacy Policy by clicking on the button below. .
Switch Here Now
What You Can Look Forward To
Protection against viruses, spam and other online threats
Technical support to help you when you need
Up to 11 email addresses for you and your family
Strong webmail Protection
We have designed these changes to help improve your experience with Oath and its brands. You are advised to switch to the new Terms of Service to confirm that you understand the new Privacy Policy.
Please note that although our services will continue to be available under the existing terms for now, you will eventually need to agree to the new Terms of Service and Privacy Policy in order to continue to use our services. If you have any questions or need additional help, please refer to this link
Thank you for your continued loyalty and support.
Best regards,
Oath
Privacy Policy