What should I do if my outlook count was hacked

Question

I haven’t been able to receive mails to my Outlook account, I am concerned it has been hacked

Answer 1

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

Are you able to send emails?

Could you please share the exact error message the sender receives when they try to send an email to your account?

Send a test email from another one of your own accounts to the affected email address. Then check:

• Whether you receive any bounce-back (non-delivery) error messages, and the email gets stuck in the Outbox.

If you receive an error, please copy and paste the complete error message here.

In the meantime, please check your Microsoft e-mail forwarding rules and storage settings to confirm that you have enough space to send and receive email online:

1. Go to https://outlook.live.com/mail/0/options/accounts-category/storage.
2. Sign in with your Microsoft account.
3. Verify that you have sufficient storage available to send and receive emails.

To check e-mail forwarding rules, see

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

• If your emails are automatically forwarding to another address, click "Do not forward".

---

---

In addition, you should follow the steps here to keep your account safe and secure:

1. Reset your Microsoft account password.

Open an InPrivate/Incognito browser window and use the following link to reset your password: https://account.live.com/ResetPassword.aspx

2. Sign out of your account from all sessions.

Once the password reset is successful, sign in with your account here: https://account.live.com/proofs/Manage

Scroll down until you find Sign out everywhere. Select Sign out everywhere.

3. Enable two-step verification.

On the Security settings page, under Additional security, turn on Two-step verification. Make sure you have at least three security verification methods active.

After you have enabled these security protections, sign out of your account in the Outlook app and sign back in with your new password.

Answer 2

If you suspect that your Outlook account has been hacked and you're not receiving emails, here are some steps you can take to regain control and secure your account:

1. Change Your Password: Immediately change your Outlook password to a strong, unique password that you haven't used before.
2. Check for Suspicious Activity: Sign in to your Outlook account and check for any suspicious activity, such as sent emails you didn't send or changes to your settings.
3. Review Inbox Rules: Go to your Outlook settings and check for any rules that may have been created to forward your emails or delete them. Delete any suspicious rules you find.
4. Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): If you haven't already, enable MFA for your account to add an extra layer of security.
5. Sign Out Everywhere: Use the "Sign out everywhere" option in your account settings to log out of all sessions. This can help prevent unauthorized access.
6. Check App Permissions: Review the apps that have access to your account and revoke permissions for any that you do not recognize.
7. Monitor Your Account: Keep an eye on your account for any further suspicious activity and consider checking your sign-in logs if available.
8. Contact Support: If you continue to have issues or believe your account is still compromised, contact Microsoft support for further assistance.

Following these steps can help you secure your account and regain access to your emails.

---

References:

• Responding to a compromised cloud email account
• Responding to a compromised cloud email account