A few weeks back I received a phone call from someone saying they were apart of the Microsoft Licensing Verification team. The person calling said they needed to verify the appropriate number of licenses for one of our smaller clients. With all the scams and craziness going on these days, my initial thought was to hang up. The person calling had my full name and the unpublished email address used to manage the clients Office 365 account.
I asked the caller to send me some type of proof that he was in fact calling on behalf of Microsoft.
He sent the following email.
Hello John, This is Kendrick from the Microsoft Licensing Augmentation team. We are reaching out to conduct the License review for ***********. I have been assigned as your dedicated consultant to start the process. This review helps you take inventory of your Microsoft products to ensure you have the best resources for your business. This process gives you access to our team of experts, and you can ask them questions about the products you have, how you might streamline, and what you need to ensure your business has what it needs to grow. Once you land on a plan for your business, we’ll help you find the best licensing options for your business. Please, see the following link which contains a video sample for more information on the process: Preparing for your Block 64 Deployment. Your agreement with Microsoft has language related to verifying compliance, which means Microsoft can have a customer conduct a self-led review of their Microsoft Products to verify adherence to Microsoft´s standards. As per our conversation over the phone, I am including on this email the Microsoft US SMB Verification team to reach you with my credentials and authenticate this as a legitimate Microsoft contact. Please reach out to me at 206-333-4710 or via e-mail at v-kendricka@microsoft.com with any questions or concerns you may have, and to initiate the process. Thank you and I look forward to hearing from you. Best regards, Kendrick Artavia SMB Tele Consultant - Licensing Augmentation I [206-333-4710] I [v-kendricka@microsoft.com] Privacy Statement Microsoft Corporation One Microsoft Way Redmond, WA 98052 Learn more: Microsoft License Augmentation and Modern Licensing Validate this communication: usverify@microsoft.com
Earlier in my career I worked for larger organizations that used Microsoft Volume Licensing and heard whispers that Microsoft conducted these audits. I always thought their audits were performed on large Volume Licensed companies only. Not anymore. Microsoft is now going after small companies with less than 25 employees.
It appears Microsoft is getting company contact information from Office 365.
They are using the umbrella of the Microsoft Licensing check to see if they can sell you more products, specially their Azure service. That’s what it seems like to me. I tried to ignore the first email thinking they would just go away. I couldn’t imagine that Microsoft would be picking on a small company. Of course, they didn’t go away and I received the following email a few days later.
Hello John, This is Kendrick from Licensing Augmentation team. I tried to reach you at your office, but I could not get ahold of you. I am following up with you in regards of the Licensing review for *********. I have received confirmation from the verification team that my credentials have been confirmed over email. I hope this information helps to you validate. Starting from there, I would like to get over the phone with you to explain what our next steps would be. Feel free to reach me back at your earliest convenience. Best regards, Kendrick Artavia SMB Tele Consultant - Licensing Augmentation I [206-333-4710] I [v-kendricka@microsoft.com] Privacy Statement Microsoft Corporation One Microsoft Way Redmond, WA 98052 Learn more: Microsoft License Augmentation and Modern Licensing Validate this communication: usverify@microsoft.com
At this point I contacted the client and let them know what was going on.
I then received the following email from a different representative at Microsoft.
Good day Kendrick, Thank you for your mail. John, I can confirm that Kendrick Artavia (employee # 1487053) is a valid representative of the Microsoft US Licensing Augmentation team, and this is a legitimate request from Microsoft. Kind Regards Tanja Lakić-Venter | US SMB Vendor Tele Program Manager | tanjalakic@microsoft.com
Here is the next email I received.
To determine the most appreciate process to complete the review, I would like to inquire an estimated about of PC’s and servers that you currently have in use. After receiving that information, I can let you know the next step. I will be looking forward to hearing from you. Best regards, Kendrick Artavia SMB Tele Consultant - Licensing Augmentation I [206-333-4710] I [v-kendricka@microsoft.com] Privacy Statement Microsoft Corporation One Microsoft Way Redmond, WA 98052 Learn more: Microsoft License Augmentation and Modern Licensing Validate this communication: usverify@microsoft.com
I let them know the client had less than 20 computers and purchased them all directly from Dell.
Hello John, Based on the size of the company, from an IT infrastructure the most appropriate way to complete the review is through the Deployment Summary . Please be sure to fill out the spaces that are applicable to *********. Once we receive your completed Deployment Summary, you will be assigned a Microsoft Licensing and Product Specialist. Your specialist will work with you and your partner(s) on your current licensing position and provide guidance on correct licensing and productivity.Best regards, Kendrick Artavia SMB Tele Consultant - Licensing Augmentation I [206-333-4710] I [v-kendricka@microsoft.com] Privacy Statement Microsoft Corporation One Microsoft Way Redmond, WA 98052 Learn more: Microsoft License Augmentation and Modern Licensing Validate this communication: usverify@microsoft.com
They forced me to fill out a spreadsheet indicting all of the servers, desktops, laptops, tablets, Office 365 subscriptions and User/Device CALS. After I filled out their spreadsheet I received the following message.
Good morning John, Thank you for taking the time to complete the Deployment Summary. I will transfer this information to our Licensing Specialist team. They will review and contact you within a week to discuss findings and recommendations. Until then, please let me know if you have questions. I look forward to hearing from you. Best regards, Kendrick Artavia SMB Tele Consultant - Licensing Augmentation I [206-333-4710] I [v-kendricka@microsoft.com] Privacy Statement Microsoft Corporation One Microsoft Way Redmond, WA 98052 Learn more: Microsoft License Augmentation and Modern Licensing Validate this communication: usverify@microsoft.com
The final step was to have a Teams Meeting to go over the information I provided.
Greetings from Microsoft, First of all, thank for the time and effort you put on this process and secondly, thank you for confirming your availability for the date and time of you selected. We will go over the Deployment Summary in order to better understand how you all are using the MS products you deployed, match up what you provided on the DS to our records that show in the MS License Summary, and provide you guidance on your upcoming projects and assist you with any concern you might have. You will be speaking with the License Specialist of your preference according to your availability. (This call may be monitored or recorded for quality assurance and training purposes). To learn how to manage your contact preferences for other parts of Microsoft, please read our Privacy Statement. Thank you, Kiona Kurr SMB Project Planner - Licensing Augmentation I (701) 540-4755 I V-kikur@microsoft.com Privacy Statement Microsoft Corporation One Microsoft Way Redmond, WA 98052
Below is the video I was linked to when selecting the date and time for our “all important meeting”.
The meeting was brief and seemed to focus on the server. The person I spoke to was probing for information about its use, the ERP software and other things that were none of his business. The entire conversation seemed to be designed to probe for information, which they could then use to sell us on more products and services, specifically their cloud services.
After the meeting/sales pitch I received the following email.
Microsoft Licensing Verification Hi again John, Thank you for completing the process with us and for your time and effort. Please see attached for your Completion Letter which states your fully compliance with all Microsoft licensing policies and that there is no further action you need to take. We know this times can be hard, but make sure we are here to support in any possible way. Feel free to reach out if you have any inquiries. Anytime you are ready to develop or add new Microsoft solutions we would love to hear from you. Microsoft is here to help and support our customers with adapting their traditional office technology into a WFH environment that fits the needs of their company and its employees. We’d like to work with you and your Preferred Microsoft Partner to ensure you have everything you need to guarantee business continuity and facilitate remote working for your employees. Below is some documentation that may be of assistance. Please see more information: https://boards.microsoft.com/manage-your-software-investments?token=6e31863f70 Best regards, Jose Salas SMB Tele Consultant - Licensing Augmentation I (701) 540-4755 I v-salj@microsoft.com Privacy Statement Microsoft Corporation One Microsoft Way Redmond, WA 98052
Final Thoughts
I think it’s ridiculous that Microsoft is using the cover of their “Licensing Team” to probe for company information. The information they collect, which you’re forced to give them, is then used to try and sell you additional services. In the beginning it seems a little scary to be contacted by the official Microsoft Licensing Verification department. You don’t know what to expect.
IMO, Microsoft has a new sales funnel, which is their Office 365 offering. They use the administrator contact information obtained by Office 365, which is usually the business owner or the IT department to then probe for information under the cover of do this, or else.
Shame on you Microsoft. Don’t you already have enough money?