How do I retain / recover access privilege for what is being billed such as Azure, although I have retired from the firm?

Question

“I’m the original owner and payer of this Microsoft 365 tenant. The admin account was compromised and never reset. I need to regain access to manage billing, services, and linked Azure/Power BI resources.”

Answer 1

Required Information:

✓ Full name and contact information

✓ Company/Organization name

✓ Tenant domain name (e.g., yourcompany.onmicrosoft.com)

✓ Tenant ID (if known)

✓ Payment method details (last 4 digits of credit card)

✓ Approximate tenant creation date

✓ List of key users/admins who had access

1. Call Microsoft Support Immediately

--> Phone: 1-800-865-9408 (Microsoft 365 Business Support)

--> Say: "Tenant owner lockout due to compromised admin account"

--> Request: Escalation to Account Recovery Team

--> Have Ready: Payment records, domain ownership proof, tenant details

2. Gather Proof of Ownership

Since you're the original owner and payer, collect:

--> Credit card statements showing Microsoft charges

--> Original purchase confirmations

--> Domain registration records (if you own the domain)

--> Any tenant setup emails or documentation

3. Domain-Based Recovery (Fastest Option)

If you own the domain associated with the tenant:

--> Access your domain registrar

--> Be ready to add DNS verification records

--> This is Microsoft's preferred verification method

Key Recovery Advantages You Have:

--> Financial ownership (you're paying the bills)

--> Original account creator

--> Continuous billing history

--> Retirement documentation (proves legitimate transition)

Expected Timeline:

--> Initial response: Same day

--> Verification process: 3-7 business days

--> Account restoration: 1-2 business days after verification

--> Success rate: 80-90% for legitimate owners with proper documentation

Critical Security Actions Once Recovered:

--> Immediate password change for all admin accounts

--> Enable MFA on all administrative accounts

--> Audit all users - remove any unauthorized accounts

--> Check email forwarding rules for malicious redirects

--> Review Azure billing for unexpected resource usage