Account inactivity final warning.

[mduffyx1]

Is this message legitimate? My email software warned that it "May be a scam". It seems legit because the grammar is okay and the message is consistent with X10 terms and conditions. Also, the message was sent to the email address I use with x10, which I do not think is visible to non-admin users of x10.
The thing is, I did, in fact, sign on to the portal directly (is that the cPanel?), but NOT using the link in the prior inactivity messages I also received a few times during the past week.
This email address has been replaced with ######@####### below. I have also replaced name & ip# of my ISP systems with ??????.

The included message below is the last one from today.

From - Sat Apr 16 11:24:59 2016
X-Account-Key: account1
X-UIDL: 593D9C1F-0396-11E6-8B8E-00237DE3F558
X-Mozilla-Status: 0001
X-Mozilla-Status2: 00000000
X-Mozilla-Keys:
x-store-info:IwXGHBr6q6UEkAtdj5qSH0hPPlJWEYpOYLivi9ubxTMl3x8yYfTWs+9BsWzq99IUHc922FOHAX1DaxRbeNNIrTPpHgylBcddx61f5Yeump9lehMoIR37tMfTX2ezOARKWtEuyRGuH0Q=
Authentication-Results: hotmail.com; spf=softfail (sender IP is 184.150.200.209) smtp.mailfrom=bounce-md_30584027.5711d158.v1-6d44b079626e489a8e1479a110e6ecb1@mandrillapp.com; dkim=pass header.d=x10hosting.com; x-hmca=pass header.id=accounts-noreply@x10hosting.com
X-SID-PRA: accounts-noreply@x10hosting.com
X-AUTH-Result: PASS
X-SID-Result: PASS
X-Message-Status: n:n
X-Message-Delivery: Vj0xLjE7dXM9MTtsPTE7YT0xO0Q9MDtHRD0wO1NDTD00
X-Message-Info: SYIGCxALW9Pht8Tcr/DS0K1nfk/zkJN1Y7VS0JDFldyaGjJtk994Rp0YI0P4kj3NCBlalqGUwOQZLX1kirRmer5G/Mb6LfuRfOrNFxdwdIaSug0TZlPdmrndyV8ecsFIgjPTLI3Mxq1/eFFK4FKQQD3hdKsYHt5G3444LJLCP4MXOnhOm0Mlc76cXktNlQRkGoXUdNYnrDxf5NU7m12u0/sbOLOKaxQzi17McrzPTGDEDXtqnGYuYg==
Received: from ??????? ([???????]) by BAY004-PAMC2F2.hotmail.com over TLS secured channel with Microsoft SMTPSVC(7.5.7601.23143);
Fri, 15 Apr 2016 22:44:57 -0700
Received: from ??????? ([???????]) by ???????
with ESMTP
id <20160416054456.BZCA27274.???????>
for <######@#######>; Sat, 16 Apr 2016 01:44:56 -0400
Received: from mail186-147.suw21.mandrillapp.com ([198.2.186.147])
by ??????? with ESMTP
id <20160416054456.WIGT9518.???????@mail186-147.suw21.mandrillapp.com>
for <######@#######>; Sat, 16 Apr 2016 01:44:56 -0400
DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha1; c=relaxed/relaxed; s=mandrill; d=x10hosting.com;
h=From:Subject:Reply-To:Message-Id:Toate:MIME-Version:Content-Type; i=accounts-noreply@x10hosting.com;
bh=JysHHyu0RnLtp175bOP/L2KrUDg=;
b=R9lkJl4VDN732icq8xEldWvy85ek8IaS3HYy+XcjkMDNG5t2Z/VHkMLgqOMeGb9rWx7AgrZX3Fcr
XeVBmMrM/V8u3Wfoa5bMu81A1qdzoqHPA+STbpkYe7LfEoz9QQwrB+Phl8sa1M2TfWmXkkRHj0VB
0ZXQ+EXV4/jWVQreW/E=
Received: from pmta02.mandrill.prod.suw01.rsglab.com (127.0.0.1) by mail186-147.suw21.mandrillapp.com id h278lg174bk4 for <######@#######>; Sat, 16 Apr 2016 05:44:55 +0000 (envelope-from <bounce-md_30584027.5711d158.v1-6d44b079626e489a8e1479a110e6ecb1@mandrillapp.com>)
DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=mandrillapp.com;
i=@mandrillapp.com; q=dns/txt; s=mandrill; t=1460785496; h=From :
Subject : Reply-To : Message-Id : To : Date : MIME-Version :
Content-Type : From : Subject : Date : X-Mandrill-User :
List-Unsubscribe; bh=vpKag8ELASka55IbdUKCJYNKA/npVJGLgthB4yiZCok=;
b=A2ztooN5ze/eiaRNtS9CCQknkF0aM5RIoM5a1kt3cI9Bf2No6zcrRU7xkTlJ1lULKnwwgr
HFBW4fDxncvTldw+6QDB/HF9k+euIC78PibP6QHC2vgbW41YwZOMFy0aqX0V8v24spkhn8lg
7sltHC73BtGmcWvslPhrstfQtE2sU=
From: x10Hosting <accounts-noreply@x10hosting.com>
Subject: Account Inactivity Final Warning
Return-Path: <bounce-md_30584027.5711d158.v1-6d44b079626e489a8e1479a110e6ecb1@mandrillapp.com>
Received: from [198.91.80.101] by mandrillapp.com id 6d44b079626e489a8e1479a110e6ecb1; Sat, 16 Apr 2016 05:44:56 +0000
Reply-To: <accounts-noreply@x10hosting.com>
Message-Id: <20160416054458.B02F41922071@smtp01.x10labs.com>
To: <######@#######>
X-Report-Abuse: Please forward a copy of this message, including all headers, to abuse@mandrill.com
X-Report-Abuse: You can also report abuse here: http://mandrillapp.com/contact/abuse?id=30584027.6d44b079626e489a8e1479a110e6ecb1
X-Mandrill-User: md_30584027
Date: Sat, 16 Apr 2016 05:44:56 +0000
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="_av-lpitMNZqFM85h1BX0FbpuA"
X-Opwv-CommTouchExtSvcRefID: str=0001.0A020202.5711D158.00BC:SCFMA32811331,ss=1,re=-4.000,recu=0.000,reip=0.000,cl=1,cld=1,fgs=1024
X-OriginalArrivalTime: 16 Apr 2016 05:44:57.0340 (UTC) FILETIME=[1BDD33C0:01D197A3]

--_av-lpitMNZqFM85h1BX0FbpuA
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

We are sending you this email to remind you to visit the x10Hosting Account Portal.


Visiting the Account Portal once per month is a requirement to keep your hosting account active.


All that we require is that you access the portal while authenticated.


The portal may be accessed here: https://x10hosting.com/portal/


We offer account upgrades that remove the portal inactivity requirement for just over a penny per day. More information here: https://x10hosting.com/portal/?upgrade


Sincerely,
x10Hosting

--_av-lpitMNZqFM85h1BX0FbpuA
Content-Type: text/html; charset=utf-8
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

<html>
<head>
</head>
<body>

<p>
We are sending you this email to remind you to visit the x10Hosting Account Portal.
</p>
<p>
Visiting the Account Portal once per month is a requirement to keep your hosting account active.
</p>
<p>
All that we require is that you access the portal while authenticated.
</p>
<p>
The portal may be accessed here: <a href="http://mandrillapp.com/track/click/...QyZWRmNWRmOTdlNzk3YjcwYmQwMjkzOWQzOTRcIl19In0">https://x10hosting.com/portal/</a>
</p>
<p>
We offer account upgrades that remove the portal inactivity requirement for just over a penny per day. More information here: <a href="http://mandrillapp.com/track/click/...DJlZGY1ZGY5N2U3OTdiNzBiZDAyOTM5ZDM5NFwiXX0ifQ">https://x10hosting.com/portal/?upgrade</a>
</p>
<p>
Sincerely,<br />
x10Hosting
</p>

<img src="http://mandrillapp.com/track/open.php?u=30584027&id=6d44b079626e489a8e1479a110e6ecb1" height="1" width="1"></body>
</html>

--_av-lpitMNZqFM85h1BX0FbpuA--

 

[mduffyx1]

I did some more research, I'm pretty sure it was a scam, I posted a complaint at 'mailchimp'. What I really would like to know is how the scammer got the real email address I use with X10.

 

[Skizzerz]

That is a legitimate message, albeit with an old/outdated link. Ensure you are signing into the portal at https://x10hosting.com/sso/login (the /portal link redirects there), logging into FTP or the forums (or cPanel directly) does not count.

I'm going to investigate more as to why the links in the message are wrong.

 

[pawp1x10]

I receive this message:

There's a Problem
Unfortunately we were not able to find your hosting account.

Your account may have been:

• Removed for inactivity; or
• Suspended and removed for a Terms violation; or
• Requested to be deleted.

The good news it that you may sign up again now.

On the sign-up form you should enter your current email address. This way you will not create a second account or need to confirm your address again.

After go to SignUp i receive this message:

Try our web hosting now. It's super-easy and completely
[ ] [.x10host.com .x10.mx .x10.bz .elementfx.com .pcriot.com .x10host.com]
CONTINUE

After that:

{"success":true,"message":"","data":false}

 

[mduffyx1]

Update: Today I got the "suspended" notice on the website itself. But it was easy to re-activiate with the link it gave instead (i.e. the error page I got when I tried to go to my X10 website.)

Suggestion: It is not clear that BOTH (1) logging in via FTP AND (2) Cpanel directly do not count as accessing the account for the mandatory 1 access per month. I was wary to use the link in warning emails because my Client (via A MacAfee message) said that the email was suspicious and also because the embedded URL in the message was actually a 'Mandrillapp' (a know spamhouse enabler) address and not directly to X10.

PS: I'm sorry I reported you to Mandrillapp (recently renamed MailChimp) as authoring a phishing attempt to get my Gmail / Hotmail-Live address. When I clicked on the MandrillApp link, it asked me for one of those.

 

[bdistler]

It is not clear that BOTH (1) logging in via FTP AND (2) Cpanel directly do not count as accessing the account for the mandatory 1 access per month

FTP'ing -:- and cPanel direct logins -:- and logging into the forums -:- and logging into your own website - do not count
all you need to do - and the only way for it to count towards the requirement of x10hosting's Terms of Service (TOS) - is log-in to your account - with no than 30 days after your last log-in - at --> [ https://www.x10hosting.com/sso/login ]

see x10hosting's free-hosting "Terms of Service" (TOS) - at --> [ https://x10hosting.com/legal/terms-of-service ]

 

[mduffyx1]

Thanks. I have corrected the link in my 'favourites' that I had already set up to do just that.

Like I said, the notification email was suspicious because:

1. The effective address did not match the one displayed within the <A> tag. (It was a MandrillApp addr.)

2. McAfee explicitely told me that the email was suspicious.