Outlook is informing my recipients that my message was redirected to a different address.

Question

Outlook is informing my recipients that my message was redirected to a different address.

Johnny Marino 20

When I email someone—personally or for business—they often contact me saying they received an alert indicating my message was redirected to another email address. I’ve been told this could be fraudulent and that my messages may be getting forwarded to ******@hotmail.com.

I've been trying to solve this issue for a year now and still, it has not been resovled. I'm trying to contact Microsoft or Outlook by any means, but there is no system or anyone out there that I can reach. It is very frustrating. Can anyone help?

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Answer accepted by question author

Anonymous

Hi, I understand how concerning this must feel.

What’s happening is usually caused by a forwarding or redirect rule in your Outlook account, which can sometimes be set up accidentally or after a security breach.

When that rule exists, recipients see a notice that your email was redirected to another address.

The first thing to do is check your Outlook settings for any active forwarding, turn it off if you see it.

Next, review your inbox rules and remove anything that sends or redirects mail elsewhere.

It’s also a good idea to change your password and enable two-factor authentication to keep your account secure.

Can you confirm if you’ve already checked your forwarding settings and rules?

Or would you like me to walk you through those steps?

Regards,
Aron

Johnny Marino 20 Reputation points

2025-11-25T19:59:10.13+00:00

Hello Aron, and thank you very much for responding with some of your tips.

I'll respond with some of your instructions:

The first thing to do is check your Outlook settings for any active forwarding, turn it off if you see it - Yes, I already did that, but it doesn't seem like there's an option to turn on or off.

Next, review your inbox rules and remove anything that sends or redirects mail elsewhere - Yes, I did that.

It’s also a good idea to change your password and enable two-factor authentication to keep your account secure - Yes, I already did that after the security breach. My recipients are still getting that email alert with that email address - fadayifutao-at-hotmail.com.

I'll change my password again!

Can you confirm if you’ve already checked your forwarding settings and rules? YES!

Or would you like me to walk you through those steps? YES, I WOULD LOVE THAT, BUT BEFORE...

I would also like to mention that every time I reached a point where I can reach out to Microsoft Support, they ask me to enter my last 4 digits (last 2 are provided by them) of my phone number in order to send me a 6-digit verification code. When I enter the last 4 digits of my phone number, it says that a code has been sent to me. I tried that 3 times and I never received a code. I also waited 5 minutes and no luck.

I went to my account (in settings), which gives me the option to "manage", but there is no option for me to, or any indication, of a phone number. I find that strange.

I tried looking everywhere for my personal information in my outlook account and no luck. I cannot find anything with my personal information.

Yes, please do walk me through those steps? I'd appreciate it very much.

Aron, I hope you can help.

Thanks,

John
Johnny Marino 20 Reputation points

2025-11-25T20:12:05.0566667+00:00

Hello Aron,

I just changed my security destination from my phone number to another email address (ex: gmail) I use. However, they say it will take 30 days before that change will be in affect.

1 additional answer

Your answer

Johnny Marino 20 Reputation points

2025-11-25T19:59:10.13+00:00

Hello Aron, and thank you very much for responding with some of your tips.

I'll respond with some of your instructions:

The first thing to do is check your Outlook settings for any active forwarding, turn it off if you see it - Yes, I already did that, but it doesn't seem like there's an option to turn on or off.

Next, review your inbox rules and remove anything that sends or redirects mail elsewhere - Yes, I did that.

It’s also a good idea to change your password and enable two-factor authentication to keep your account secure - Yes, I already did that after the security breach. My recipients are still getting that email alert with that email address - fadayifutao-at-hotmail.com.

I'll change my password again!

Can you confirm if you’ve already checked your forwarding settings and rules? YES!

Or would you like me to walk you through those steps? YES, I WOULD LOVE THAT, BUT BEFORE...

I would also like to mention that every time I reached a point where I can reach out to Microsoft Support, they ask me to enter my last 4 digits (last 2 are provided by them) of my phone number in order to send me a 6-digit verification code. When I enter the last 4 digits of my phone number, it says that a code has been sent to me. I tried that 3 times and I never received a code. I also waited 5 minutes and no luck.

I went to my account (in settings), which gives me the option to "manage", but there is no option for me to, or any indication, of a phone number. I find that strange.

I tried looking everywhere for my personal information in my outlook account and no luck. I cannot find anything with my personal information.

Yes, please do walk me through those steps? I'd appreciate it very much.

Aron, I hope you can help.

Thanks,

John
Johnny Marino 20 Reputation points

2025-11-25T20:12:05.0566667+00:00

Hello Aron,

I just changed my security destination from my phone number to another email address (ex: gmail) I use. However, they say it will take 30 days before that change will be in affect.

Answer 1

It sounds like your emails are being redirected due to a mail flow rule or a forwarding setting that may have been inadvertently enabled. Here are some steps you can take to troubleshoot the issue:

Check Mailbox Forwarding Settings: Ensure that mailbox forwarding is not enabled for your account. You can check this in Exchange Online PowerShell by running the following command:
```
   Get-Mailbox <your-email-address> | FL ForwardingAddress,ForwardingSmtpAddress,DeliverToMailboxAndForward
```
If forwarding is enabled, you can disable it with:
```
   Set-Mailbox <your-email-address> -DeliverToMailboxAndForward $False
```
Review Inbox Rules: Check if there are any inbox rules that might be redirecting your emails. You can manage your inbox rules in Outlook by going to the settings and reviewing the rules you have set up.
Contact Support: If you continue to experience issues, consider reaching out to Microsoft Support for further assistance. They can help investigate if there are any underlying issues with your account or settings.
Security Check: Ensure your account has not been compromised. Change your password and enable two-factor authentication if you haven't already.
Educate Recipients: Inform your recipients about the situation so they can be cautious about any suspicious emails that may appear to come from you.

Taking these steps should help you identify and resolve the issue with your emails being redirected.

References:

Diagnose Outlook Inbox rules that aren't working