Domain Due Diligence
Report for Hotmail.co.uk
Why we think so
hotmail.co.uk is a publicly known domain owned by Microsoft and associated with Microsoft’s email services, including Outlook and Hotmail. The domain demonstrates significant traffic with over 1.1 million monthly visits, typical for established web services. It uses robust infrastructure and reputable technologies such as Microsoft Azure hosting and Microsoft Exchange Online for email. There are no direct reports of hotmail.co.uk being a scam site. However, as a widely used public email domain, scammers frequently exploit hotmail.co.uk addresses for phishing and fraudulent emails that impersonate Microsoft's support or services. Users should be cautious of unsolicited emails from this domain that request personal information or urgent actions. Major legal or dispute issues are tied primarily to Microsoft as the parent company, not hotmail.co.uk specifically.
Risk Insights
Legitimate Microsoft Domain with Wide Usage
Frequent Phishing Target
Contradictory Signals
Despite being a genuine domain, hotmail.co.uk is often exploited by scammers impersonating Microsoft.
Signal A: Strong technical legitimacy and domain ownership by Microsoft.
Signal B: Widespread use in phishing attacks and scam emails.
Category Scores
Red Flags & Warnings
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Common use of hotmail.co.uk addresses in phishing and scam emails impersonating Microsoft support.
🔎 Detailed Checks & Analysis
Domain Ownership and Technical Setup
Domain Ownership and Technical Setup
"The domain shows valid registration, legitimate registrar (CSC Corporate Domains), and Microsoft-issued SSL certificates indicating authenticity."
Reason: hotmail.co.uk is a Microsoft-owned domain using strong infrastructure like Microsoft Azure and secure SSL certificates.
Traffic and Usage Signals
Traffic and Usage Signals
"Traffic data from SimilarWeb and Alexa confirm consistent usage, mostly within the UK."
Reason: The domain receives substantial traffic (~1.2 million monthly visits) consistent with an active, legitimate service.
Reputation and Scam Reports
Reputation and Scam Reports
"Multiple consumer warnings highlight scams posing as Microsoft from hotmail.co.uk email addresses, though the domain itself is not fraudulent."
Reason: Frequent reports of phishing scams use hotmail.co.uk addresses as sender emails, increasing risk to recipients.
Legal and Regulatory Issues
Legal and Regulatory Issues
"Hotmail.co.uk has been plaintiff against spammers but has no known customer disputes; legal cases against Microsoft do not single out this domain."
Reason: No lawsuits or regulatory actions directly target hotmail.co.uk; legal disputes relate to Microsoft broadly.
Your Next Steps
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1Do not trust unsolicited or unexpected emails from hotmail.co.uk addresses requesting personal or financial information.
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2Verify any communication claiming to be from hotmail.co.uk or Microsoft through official channels before responding.
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3Report any suspicious emails from hotmail.co.uk to Microsoft and local authorities such as Action Fraud in the UK.
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4Use up-to-date anti-phishing tools and avoid clicking links in unverified messages.
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5Consider using multifactor authentication on your Microsoft accounts for added security.
Evidence & Citations
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Hotmail phishing and scams warnings (Microsoft, UK National Security)
Details on scams using hotmail.co.uk addresses to impersonate Microsoft
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Technical profile of hotmail.co.uk domain
Verified use of Microsoft Azure, Exchange Online, and other technologies indicating legitimate operation
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Traffic statistics for hotmail.co.uk
Over 1 million monthly visits demonstrating active use
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Microsoft legal disputes overview (UK)
Legal disputes involve Microsoft but not specifically hotmail.co.uk domain
🕵🏻 Keep investigating
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