My email has been hacked and i need help

Question

My email has been hacked.

my email is <Mod remove PII> @msn.com

It changed my language and keeps spamming me the same messages

Answer 1

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

First step,

Enable Account Security Measures by following the steps here:

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. Your account will be signed out of all the trusted devices, possibly within 24 hours.

3. Enable two-step verification.

On the Security settings page, under Additional security, turn on Two-step verification. Make sure you have at least 3 active security verification methods.

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Next, change the Outlook App language from your Microsoft account user profile and from the App settings.

Open any web browser and sign in with your Microsoft account here-

https://account.microsoft.com/profile

• Change the Language and region format in your Microsoft profile if it is set to something different.

Then open the Outlook desktop app or Outlook on the web to read your email.

Go to Settings > Time & Language, change the language there, and then restart Outlook.

If you are using Outlook Web, copy and paste the link below to change the language settings.

https://outlook.live.com/mail/0/options/general/timeAndLanguage

Let me know if you still need more help.

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Answer 2

Follow these steps immediately to secure the hacked MSN/Outlook.com account and stop the spam and language changes:

1. Scan all devices for malware
   • On each PC or phone used to sign in to this email, run a full antivirus scan.
   • If using Windows 8.1 or Windows 10/11, open Windows Defender (Microsoft Defender) and run a full scan as described in the guidance for hacked accounts.
   • Ensure antivirus is updated and configured to scan regularly before changing any passwords.
2. Change or reset the account password
   • After confirming devices are clean, sign in to the Microsoft account and change the password to a strong, unique one.
   • If sign-in is not possible, use the password reset flow and follow the steps to recover the account.
3. Check for unusual sign-ins and activity
   • Go to the recent activity page at https://account.live.com/activity (linked in the guidance) to review where and when the account has been accessed.
   • If any sign-ins look unfamiliar, mark them as “This wasn’t me” where available and follow the prompts.
4. Review and fix Outlook.com mailbox settings
   • After regaining access, in Outlook.com:
     • Check Rules and delete any suspicious rules that might be creating or moving spam messages.
     • Check Forwarding and remove any unknown forwarding addresses.
     • Check Automatic replies and turn them off if they were enabled by the attacker.
   • These steps help stop repeated spam/draft messages and other automated behavior.
5. Add or update security information
   • Add an alternate email address and mobile phone number as security info on the Microsoft account.
   • This makes future recovery easier and helps protect the account if it is attacked again.
6. Turn on multi-factor authentication (MFA)
   • Enable multi-factor authentication on the Microsoft account to require an extra verification step when signing in.
   • MFA blocks most password-based attacks and is one of the most effective protections.
7. Check language and other profile settings
   • In Outlook.com and the Microsoft account profile, change the language and region back to the correct values.
   • Review other settings (signature, display name, time zone) for changes and correct them.
8. If the account is blocked or access still fails
   • If the Outlook.com account is temporarily blocked due to unusual activity, use the Sign-in Helper from the “Unblock my Outlook.com account” article to unblock it.
   • If unblocking fails or sign-in is still not possible, follow the guidance under When you can't sign in to your Microsoft account from the same article.
9. Monitor and report suspicious messages
   • Continue to report spam or phishing messages in Outlook.com to help tune filters.
   • Be cautious with any emails asking to click links, open attachments, or provide personal information, especially if they create urgency or fear.

If additional help is needed after these steps, use the Outlook.com Help menu and, if required, the “Still need help?” → Yes path to reach support options, or use the Sign-in Helper for hacked/blocked accounts.

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References:

• Help protect your Outlook.com email account
• How to recover a hacked or compromised Microsoft account
• Hello , welcome to Account help & learning
• Unblock my Outlook.com account
• What to do if your email address is leaked
• Phishing and suspicious behavior in Outlook