It’s Official: Microsoft Is Now the World’s Most Impersonated Brand

Microsoft has emerged as the most impersonated brand in phishing attacks in the fourth quarter of 2025, overtaking Facebook, as cybercriminals increasingly exploit trusted global brands to deceive unsuspecting users, according to new research by Guardio Labs.

The findings reveal that attackers intensified brand impersonation campaigns toward the end of 2025, carefully timing their operations to coincide with periods when users were more distracted or expecting legitimate communications. These include year-end account reviews, subscription renewals, holiday shopping, package deliveries and early-year job searches.

Researchers noted that phishing activity spiked sharply during Black Friday promotions, December’s peak parcel delivery season and the January job-hunting window — creating ideal conditions for online fraud.

What the report is saying

According to Guardio Labs, Microsoft’s expansive digital ecosystem — spanning email services, cloud storage, productivity tools and enterprise platforms — makes it an especially attractive target for cybercriminals.

Attackers frequently deploy fake login pages, fabricated security alerts and fraudulent billing notices that closely mimic official Microsoft communications, making it increasingly difficult for users to tell scams apart from legitimate messages.

“Scammers ramped up brand impersonation attacks throughout Q4 2025, targeting moments when people are busiest online,” Guardio Labs said.

The report added that Microsoft was not alone, noting that “well-known brands such as Microsoft, Facebook, Roblox and McAfee were abused to lower users’ guard and increase the success rate of phishing campaigns.”

Researchers also warned that modern phishing kits have become far more sophisticated, capable of stealing not only passwords but also session cookies and multi-factor authentication tokens.

Rising concern over youth-targeted scams

While Microsoft and Facebook dominated impersonation rankings, the research highlighted a worrying trend: the growing targeting of platforms popular with children and teenagers.

Roblox ranked third among the most impersonated brands in Q4 2025. Phishing campaigns impersonating the gaming platform often lure victims with promises of free in-game currency, exclusive virtual items or urgent account suspension warnings.

Guardio Labs noted that children are frequently exposed to fake giveaways requiring “verification,” which leads to stolen login credentials. Parents, meanwhile, are targeted through fake support websites designed to harvest payment details during gift card purchases or redemptions.

Other brands under attack

Facebook, which previously topped phishing impersonation rankings, remains a major target for scammers. Fake security alerts and account recovery messages continue to be widely used to steal user credentials.

Beyond major technology firms, cybercriminals are increasingly impersonating brands across gaming, telecommunications, cybersecurity, e-commerce and cryptocurrency sectors, aiming to gain access to accounts holding sensitive personal or financial data.

The top 10 most impersonated brands in Q4 2025 are:

Microsoft

Facebook

Roblox

McAfee

Steam

AT&T

Amazon

Google

Yahoo

Coinbase

What you should know

In a separate report by Check Point Research, the threat intelligence arm of Check Point Software Technologies Ltd., Microsoft was also identified as the most impersonated brand in Q2 2025.

According to the report, Microsoft accounted for 25% of all phishing attempts globally between April and June 2025. Google followed with 11%, while Apple ranked third with 9%.

A phishing attack is a form of cybercrime in which attackers masquerade as trusted entities to trick individuals into revealing sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, credit card details or other personal data.