Emails beig forwarded

Question

I had my emails hacked, and I can see they are automatically forwarded when my emails come in from the forward icon. However, when I go to settings and go to forwarding, it is not enabled. So, how do I stop this?

Answer 1

Dear Frankie Eastman,

Thank you for posting in the Microsoft Q&A. 

I understand that you're experiencing an issue where your emails are being automatically forwarded even though the forwarding setting in Outlook.com appears to be disabled. I can certainly understand the inconvenience and concern this has caused, especially with the thought that your account may have been compromised. 

When an account is accessed without your permission, unauthorized users often create a hidden inbox rule to forward emails. They may also use other methods to maintain access. To get to the bottom of this, let's go through some key areas to check. 

Step 1. Step-by-Step Troubleshooting: 

Start by checking your account for any unauthorized rules or connections. 

• Check Inbox Rules: 
  • Go to your Settings (the gear icon) in Outlook on the web. 
  • Select Mail > Rules. 
  • Look for any rules that you didn't create, especially those that forward or redirect emails. If you find any, delete them immediately. 
• Check Connected Accounts: 
  • Go to Settings > Mail > Sync Email. 
  • Review the list of connected accounts. Make sure there are no unfamiliar email addresses connected to your account. 

Step 2. Secure Your Account: 

Because your account was likely compromised, it's very important to take steps to secure it and prevent future issues. 

• Change Your Password Immediately: Go to your Microsoft Account security page to update your password to a new, strong one that you haven't used before. 
• Enable Two-Step Verification: While you're on the security page, enable Two-Step Verification. This adds an extra layer of protection, making it much harder for anyone to access your account, even if they know your password. You can find instructions for this here: How to use two-step verification with your Microsoft account - Microsoft Support.   
• Review Recent Activity: On the same security page, check your Recent activity to see if there are any unusual sign-ins or devices listed that you don't recognize. 
• Run a Security Scan: Use your antivirus software to run a full scan on your computer to check for any malware or keyloggers that could have compromised your credentials. 

Disclaimer: Please back up any important data before making significant changes to your account settings. 

We appreciate your effort in working through these steps. Please let us know how it goes. We look forward to your response. 

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Answer 2

Check your rules on a computer:

https://outlook.live.com/mail/0/options/mail/rules

Remove unwanted rules.