How can I recognize an email from "Microsoft" as being valid?
In my Hotmail inbox listing an email from "Microsoft Account Team" is preceded with an icon of a green shield containing a check mark.  Is this supposed to be an official MS symbol or validation stamp?

This particular email subject is "Microsoft Account Security Confirmation", sender IP is 207.46.200.11; smtp.mailfrom=*** Email address is removed for privacy ***   It does not ask me to provide personal info, however, a link is provided to a website to change my password and restore account security information.  The catch is that the email acct. cited to be removed isn't mine but is one very similar in name.  Is it possible this email is official but that the MS Acct. Team has been "set up" by a phisher?

Thanks for your input.
-Tom