Message from Microsoft??

[Dragon]

I've received a message with a return address of
em...@microsoft.microsoft.com

It purports to be about the service agreement and contains links to
http://microsoft.microsoft.com/Key-54002 followed by a collection of
alphanumeric characters.

I've never seen that double microsoft before.
Is it safe or just another scam to spread malware?

Regards
Henry

[FromTheRafters]

Dragon laid this down on his screen :

Seems to belong to 'searchguideinc.com' not Microsoft.

[Virus Guy]

I created a "throw-away" mail account for a skype account on a vanity
domain about a year ago that is hosted at $dayjob. The only purpose for
that account was to get a skype installation up and running on a
netbook. That account has never received any other mail.

I recently recieved an email from microsoft at that account. Full
header (and message body) below.

I believe this has something to do with some radical new anti-spam
e-mail legislation that will come into effect in Canada on July 1.

[yes, I know that the new legislation will have no effect on
direct-to-mx zombie spam, or any spam originating from hard-to-trace
sources, but it will have an effect for commercial entities operating in
US/Canada like Macro$haft, skype, gmail, ebay, amazon, fecebook,
twatter, the banks, (etc) that can't (or don't want to, or don't need
to) hide or obfuscate their identity]

The source IP (65.55.234.221) resolves to blugmehub01.msn.com.

The domain microsoft.microsoft.com resolves to 191.234.1.49.

The sending host smtpi.msn.com resolves to 207.46.200.21.

The IP 207.46.200.21 resolves (in both directions) to smtpg.msn.com.

--------------
Return-Path: <em...@microsoft.microsoft.com>
Received: from smtpi.msn.com ([65.55.234.221]) by (my server)
Date: Tue, 17 Jun 2014 19:01:21 -0700
From: Microsoft <em...@microsoft.microsoft.com>
Subject: Our terms of use are changing
X-Mailer: 10.0.3.1.44; msn
X-rpcampaign: msft560423
Return-Path: em...@microsoft.microsoft.com
X-Message-Routing: (long alpha-numeric string)

We're updating our terms of use and privacy statement.

Our users' needs are at the center of everything we do. That's why we
are updating the Microsoft Services Agreement and providing a Privacy
Statement for Windows Services. We want to take this opportunity to
highlight some of the key changes and what they mean for you.

As part of our ongoing commitment to respecting your privacy, we won't
use your documents, photos or other personal files or what you say in
email, chat, video calls or voice mail to target advertising to you.

Transparency

We updated our Code of Conduct so you can better understand the types of
behaviors that could affect your account, and added language that
parents are responsible for minor children's use of Microsoft account
and services, including purchases.

Simplicity

We tailor our privacy statements for each of our products to help make
it easier for you to find the information that is important to you.

The Microsoft Services Agreement applies to your Microsoft account and
includes many of our customer services such as Outlook.com, OneDrive,
and Bing, while the privacy statement explains how your personal
information is collected, used and protected across your Microsoft
account, Outlook.com and OneDrive.

The new updates to these will take effect on July 31, 2014. If you
continue to use our services after July 31, 2014, you agree to the
updated terms or, if you don't agree, you can cancel your service at any
time.

We encourage you to use the links below for further details and to view
the full agreements online.
----------------

[Dragon]

Yes that's pretty much the same message that I got.
Searching via Google I found much the same information about service
contract etc. on the Microsoft site.

Henry