Watch out: hackers are hijacking Microsoft Teams messages to try and get access to your emails - here's what you need to look out for

• Hackers create finance-themed Teams to trick users without using phishing links
• Obfuscated team names bypass automated detection while appearing normal to targets
• Fraudulent phone calls attempt to extract login credentials and sensitive information

Attackers are now abusing legitimate Microsoft Teams features to reach users without using traditional phishing links, new research has found.

Experts at CheckPoint found the campaign begins when hackers create new teams with finance-themed or urgent billing names, often embedding obfuscation techniques such as mixed Unicode characters or visually similar symbols.

These tactics allow the malicious team names to bypass automated detection while still appearing normal to users.

How the hijack leads to email access

Once the attackers set up the team, they ...