I cannot send emails after spam restriction

Question

I was recently hacked and have not wiped my hard drive and changed my outlook password but cannot send emails because Microsoft put a restriction on the account since the hacker sent a spam email before. How do I get this restriction removed now that it it fixed. I have tested barious emails, outlook bounced it back in 1 second. It is not even getting out it is hittin g a wall. I cannot reply to anyone.

"This message couldn't be delivered because the sending email address was not recognized as a valid sender. The most common reason for this error is that the email address is, or was, suspected of sending spam. Contact the organization's email admin for help and give them this error message."

Answer 1

To resolve the issue with your Outlook account being restricted due to suspected spam activity, follow these steps:

1. Reset Your Password: Since you mentioned that your account was hacked, ensure that you have changed your password to something strong and unique. This is crucial to secure your account.
2. Check for Compromised Settings: After changing your password, check for any suspicious activity in your account. Look for any unauthorized rules or forwarding settings that may have been set up by the hacker. You can do this by reviewing your account settings in Outlook.
3. Contact Your Email Administrator: If you are part of an organization, reach out to your email administrator. Provide them with the error message you received. They may need to unblock your account or make adjustments to the email settings on their end.
4. Use the Delist Portal: If your IP has been blocked, you can use the Anti-Spam IP Delist Portal to request removal from the blocked senders list. This is especially relevant if you are sending emails from an external source. Follow the instructions provided in the NDR message or visit the delist portal for guidance.
5. Monitor Your Account: After taking these steps, keep an eye on your account for any further suspicious activity. It may also be wise to run a malware scan on your devices to ensure they are secure.

If these steps do not resolve the issue, consider reaching out to Microsoft Support for further assistance.

---

References:

• Fix NDR error code "550 5.1.1" through "550 5.1.20" in Exchange Online
• External senders - Use the delist portal to remove yourself from the blocked senders list and address 5.7.511 Access denied errors

Answer 2

Hi @Horgonzo 

Welcome to Microsoft Q&A forum.  

Thank you for reaching out to us. I understand how important it is to get your email service back up and running. 

The error you’re seeing occurs because Microsoft detected spam activity from your account and placed a temporary sending restriction to protect your organization. Even though you’ve changed your password and secured your device, the restriction won’t lift automatically, you’ll need to remove it through the Microsoft 365 Security portal. 

There are some steps you can try: 

1/ Sign in to the Restricted entities - Microsoft Defender (You need admin privileges) 

2/ Remove the Restriction: 

• If your account is listed, select it, then from the above ribbon click on “Unblock“. 
• You may wait up to 1 hour for restrictions to lift (sometimes up to 24 hours). 

3/ Verify Security Measures: 

• Ensure Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) is enabled. 
• Check for any suspicious inbox rules under Settings → Mail → Rules. 
• Run a malware scan on your device.  

For more information, please refer to the following links: 

• Remove blocked users from the Restricted entities page - Microsoft Defender for Office 365 | Micros… 
• Solving: This message couldn’t be delivered because the sending email address was not recognized as… 
• How to start a scan for viruses or malware in Microsoft Defender - Microsoft Support 

Note: Microsoft is providing this information as a convenience to you. The sites are not controlled by Microsoft. Microsoft cannot make any representations regarding the quality, safety, or suitability of any software or information found there. Please make sure that you completely understand the risk before retrieving any suggestions from the above links. 

 

I hope this information is helpful. Please follow these steps and let me know if it works for you. If not, we can work together to resolve this.    

Thank you for your patience and your understanding. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please feel free to share them in the comments on this post so I can continue to support you. 

I look forward to your thoughts on this. 

 

---

If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".      

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.