I received an email saying my acct will be deleted, help

Cindy Ostler 60 Reputation points
2025-12-31T16:52:07.87+00:00

I received an email that says my hotmail account will be deleted and that I requested it. It could be a spam email, but how do I know? I don't want to lose my account and did not ask for it to be deleted. Can I speak to a live representative?

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Erland Sommarskog 137.3K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
2025-12-31T17:31:35.8033333+00:00

That certainly sounds like a phishing attempt.

As the AI says, you should check the mail address in the From line. Often with spams, the address is somewhere far out. Sometimes they are a little more deceivable like hotmail-microsoft.com. (That is just something I made up, and I would not expect it to be a legit address.)

Also hover over any links and see where they go. (You should be able to see that in the status bar.) They should end in hotmail.com, nothing else. Do not click any links until you have verified that the link is legit.

Also, what does the text say? That you have to confirm that you want to keep the email? In such case, I am very sure it is phishing. I don't use Hotmail, but typically the response to a delete request would be that you have to confirm the deletion (in case some joker fake a request on your behalf).

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GsN5034 - IA 76,370 Reputation points Independent Advisor
2025-12-31T17:35:57.1333333+00:00

Hello, thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A.

Your account will only be deleted if it remains inactive for more than 2 years, or if you submit and confirm an account closure request.

First, please check the sender’s email address and confirm that it is from the official Microsoft account protection team. Do not click any links in the email or provide any personal information. There are many scam emails that threaten users, saying that their accounts will be deleted and demanding money to reinstate the accounts. Microsoft never sends emails like this.

You can safely move this email to your Junk Email folder or delete it.

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AI answer

2025-12-31T16:52:13.71+00:00

To determine if the email you received about your Hotmail account being deleted is genuine or a phishing attempt, you should check the sender's email address. Legitimate emails from Microsoft will come from specific domains such as microsoft.com, microsoftsupport.com, or mail.support.microsoft.com. If the email is from a different domain, it is likely a phishing scam.

Additionally, do not click on any links or provide personal information in response to the email. If you are concerned about your account, you can visit the official Microsoft support website for guidance or to report the email. Unfortunately, I cannot assist you in speaking to a live representative directly.

If you suspect that your account may be compromised or if you need further assistance, consider following the steps outlined in the Microsoft support documentation regarding account security alerts and compromised accounts.

References:

AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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