my account has been hacked

Question

my account has been hacked and messages and folders keep popping up in my email.

Answer 1

Hi! The password change is a good start. You should also check that your contact methods remain the same here:

https://account.live.com/proofs/manage/additional

After that, close all your open sessions. You will need to log back in to all your devices, but it's safer this way:

https://account.live.com/proofs/manage/additional

After this, please review the next link to see if any apps that you don’t know have access to your account and delete them:

https://microsoft.com/consent

Finally, do this in Outlook from Edge:

Sign in to Outlook.com

Click on the gear icon (Settings) in the upper right corner.

Look for and open Mail settings.

Go to the Rules section and check if there are any rules you didn’t create. If there are any suspicious rules (for example: “forward everything to @.___” or “move everything to Deleted”), delete them immediately.

Also check in Forwarding and IMAP and make sure there are no addresses added. If there is one and it’s not yours, remove the forwarding.

Answer 2

If your account has been hacked and you are experiencing unusual activity such as messages and folders popping up in your email, it is crucial to take immediate action to secure your account. Here are some steps you can follow:

1. Change Your Password: Immediately change your email password to a strong, unique one that you haven't used before.
2. Check for Unauthorized Activity: Look for any suspicious messages or changes in your account settings, such as forwarding rules or linked accounts that you did not set up.
3. Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): If you haven't already, enable 2FA for an added layer of security.
4. Scan Your Devices: Run a full antivirus scan on all devices you use to access your email to ensure they are not compromised.
5. Contact Support: If you are unable to regain control of your account or if the issues persist, contact your email provider's support for assistance.
6. Inform Your Contacts: Let your contacts know that your account may have been compromised to prevent them from falling victim to phishing attempts.

Following these steps can help you regain control of your account and secure it against further unauthorized access.

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References:

• Respond to a compromised cloud email account
• My personal hotmail account hacked by hacker with authentication app enabled. - Microsoft Q&A