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regarding the security of my Microsoft Outlook account. I recently identified suspicious activity that suggests my account may have been accessed without authorization, and I am increasingly concerned that a personal backup file (Outlook .pst) may have be

lucia yeung 0 Reputation points
2025-08-14T22:40:07.77+00:00

Subject: Urgent Request for Investigation – Suspected Unauthorized Access to Microsoft Account and Potential Exposure of Email Backup (.pst File)

Dear Microsoft Support Team,

I am writing to raise a serious concern regarding the security of my Microsoft Outlook account. I recently identified suspicious activity that suggests my account may have been accessed without authorization, and I am increasingly concerned that a personal backup file (Outlook .pst) may have been compromised.

Summary of Concerns:

  • I noticed a suspicious login using Chrome from a location in Hong Kong that I do not recognize, as shown in the Microsoft Account Security Center.
  • Certain emails and attachments appear to have been sent, accessed, or altered without my knowledge.
  • There are signs that someone may be in possession of a .pst backup file containing my email history or has otherwise retrieved large portions of my mailbox.

I kindly request Microsoft to:

  1. Investigate any unauthorized access to my account and confirm whether any bulk data (e.g., .pst exports or large downloads) has occurred.
  2. Provide a complete access log for the past 12 months, including:
    • Login times, IP addresses, and locations
      • Devices and browsers used to access the account
        • Any linked third-party apps or mail clients
        1. Advise if there is any evidence of unauthorized downloads, email forwarding rules, or other account settings that were modified.
        2. Inform me of the next steps, including how to report this incident officially, and whether further action (e.g., reporting to a data protection authority) is necessary.

Given the potential exposure of personal and sensitive information, I consider this a high-priority case and request a response with a case ID and investigation status within 7 days.

Please let me know if additional information or verification is required on my part.

Sincerely, Lucia Yeung

Subject: Urgent Request for Investigation – Suspected Unauthorized Access to Microsoft Account and Potential Exposure of Email Backup (.pst File)

Dear Microsoft Support Team,

I am writing to raise a serious concern regarding the security of my Microsoft Outlook account. I recently identified suspicious activity that suggests my account may have been accessed without authorization, and I am increasingly concerned that a personal backup file (Outlook .pst) may have been compromised.

Summary of Concerns:

  • I noticed a suspicious login using Chrome from a location in Hong Kong that I do not recognize, as shown in the Microsoft Account Security Center.
  • Certain emails and attachments appear to have been sent, accessed, or altered without my knowledge.
  • There are signs that someone may be in possession of a .pst backup file containing my email history or has otherwise retrieved large portions of my mailbox.

I kindly request Microsoft to:

  1. Investigate any unauthorized access to my account and confirm whether any bulk data (e.g., .pst exports or large downloads) has occurred.
  2. Provide a complete access log for the past 12 months, including:
    • Login times, IP addresses, and locations
      • Devices and browsers used to access the account
        • Any linked third-party apps or mail clients
        1. Advise if there is any evidence of unauthorized downloads, email forwarding rules, or other account settings that were modified.
        2. Inform me of the next steps, including how to report this incident officially, and whether further action (e.g., reporting to a data protection authority) is necessary.

Given the potential exposure of personal and sensitive information, I consider this a high-priority case and request a response with a case ID and investigation status within 7 days.

Please let me know if additional information or verification is required on my part.

Sincerely,
Lucia

Outlook | Windows | Classic Outlook for Windows | For home
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3 answers

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  1. Alice-N 9,700 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2025-08-21T09:02:09.32+00:00

    Good day! I hope you're doing well!  

    It has been a while and I am writing to see how things are going with your issue. Have you had a chance to check the reply provided? Are you encountering any difficulties following the steps ? Please feel free to let me know if there’s anything I can assist you with. 

    Warm Regards, 

    Alice  

    Microsoft Q&A Support Specialist 

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  2. Alice-N 9,700 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2025-08-15T02:25:35.2866667+00:00

    Dear lucia yeung

    Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Q&A Community. I understand you're experiencing an issue regarding suspected unauthorized access to your Microsoft Outlook account and potential exposure of your personal email backup (.pst file). I am happy to assist you with that.

    Please kindly follow this step to see if it might work.

    Step 1: Review Account Activity  

    Visit the Microsoft Account Security Center to verify recent sign-ins: https://account.microsoft.com/activity Review the following details: 

    • Login times, IP addresses, and geographic locations 
    • Devices and browsers used 
    • Any linked third-party applications or mail clients 

    If you notice any unfamiliar activity, select “Secure your account” to begin the recovery process. 

    Step 2: Secure Your Account  

    To protect your account from further unauthorized access: 

    • Change your password immediately 
    • Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) via https://account.microsoft.com/security 
    • Remove any unfamiliar devices from your account 
    • Review and delete unauthorized email forwarding rules in Outlook by navigating to Settings > Mail > Rules 

    Step 3: Investigate .PST File Exposure  

    If you suspect your .pst file has been accessed or exported: 

    Step 4: Request Investigation and Access Logs  

    To initiate a formal investigation and request access logs: 

    • Contact Microsoft Support directly at https://support.microsoft.com/contactus 
    • Provide a detailed summary of the incident and request: 
      • A case ID for tracking 
        • Login history for the past 12 months 
          • Evidence of bulk downloads or .pst exports 
            • Any changes to account settings or linked applications 

    I hope these steps help you resolve the problem. If you require additional guidance, feel free to reply to this thread and I’ll be happy to assist you. 

    If you found the answer helpful, we’d really appreciate it if you could click "Accept Answer" and kindly give it an upvote. Your feedback helps others in the community too. 

    Warm Regards, 

     Alice  

    Microsoft Q&A Support Specialist

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  3. Diane Poremsky 8,255 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2025-08-15T00:19:13.0933333+00:00

    Did you change your password and enable 2-step verification, with at least 3 forms of verification? I would also sign the account out everywhere and reset windows hello at the bottom of https://account.live.com/proofs/manage/additional

    You should also create a recovery code at the bottom of that page, especially if you enabled 2-step verification. Keep the code in a safe place and don't forget where it is.

    Hackers will often create rules to forward mail so they can still monitor your mailbox after you change the password. When their mailbox is full or the host closes the account, you'll get a bounce message.

    Check for rules or forwarding in Outlook.com's Settings (gear icon) > View all Outlook settings > Mail - under Rules and also under Forwarding. Delete any you did not create.

    As for the rest of your requests, Microsoft does not have logs available for consumer accounts. Sorry.

    Why do you think a backup PST was created?

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