My account has been compromised

Question

My Outlook email account has been compromised, and someone came in and deleted all of my emails. There's nothing in the Archive or in the Deleted section, so someone went in and permanently deleted them.
I have family photos, important documents, concert tickets, and overall important and sensitive information that has been lost.
What can I do to recover them?

Answer 1

Hi, I'm John!

Since your account was compromised/hack, it’s possible the attacker deleted or moved your old emails.

Please check your Deleted Items folder and click “Recover items deleted from this folder” at the bottom, sometimes older messages can still be restored from there. Also check your Archive or Junk Email folders. "Recover and restore deleted items in Outlook" https://support.microsoft.com/office/recover-and-restore-deleted-items-in-outlook-49e81f3c-c8f4-4426-a0b9-c0fd751d48ce

If the emails don’t appear under “Recover items deleted from this folder,” it means they’ve been permanently removed from the mailbox and unfortunately can’t be recovered.

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To prevent this from happening again, I recommend turning on two-step verification and reviewing your recent activity page to make sure your account is fully secure. "How to help keep your Microsoft account secure" https://support.microsoft.com/account-billing/how-to-help-keep-your-microsoft-account-secure-628538c2-7006-33bb-5ef4-c917657362b9

Let me know if you have any further questions or concerns.

Answer 2

In Outlook.com, permanently deleted items can sometimes still be recovered, but only within the limits of the mailbox’s Recoverable Items retention period and any policies set by the service or administrator. Try the following immediately:

1. Check the Recoverable Items folder (new Outlook on the web)
   Even if Deleted Items and Archive are empty, Outlook keeps a hidden Recoverable Items store for a limited time.
   1. Go to Outlook on the web and sign in.
   2. Select the Deleted Items folder.
   3. Select Recover items deleted from this folder. This opens the Recoverable Items view.
   4. Browse or sort the list and select the items to restore.
   5. On the Home ribbon, select Restore to put them back into your mailbox.
   Tip: Multiple items can be selected at once, or select the checkbox next to Recoverable Items to select all messages, then choose Restore.
2. If using classic Outlook (desktop) with the same account
   If the Outlook.com account is also configured in classic Outlook (desktop):
   1. Select the Deleted Items folder.
   2. Use the Recover Deleted Items command (if available) to open the Recover Deleted Items window.
   3. Sort by Subject, Deleted On, or From to help locate specific messages.
   4. Select the items to restore (use Ctrl or Shift for multiple selection).
   5. Choose Restore Selected Items.
3. Understand retention limits
   Items are only recoverable from the Recoverable Items folder for a limited time, which may be controlled by policy. After that period expires, items are likely permanently removed from the mailbox. In some environments, an administrator might still be able to recover items beyond what is visible to the user; if this is an organizational account, contact the mail administrator immediately and ask them to attempt a server-side recovery.

If the items do not appear in Deleted Items, Archive, or the Recoverable Items view, and an administrator cannot find them either, they have likely been permanently deleted and cannot be restored.

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References:

• Recover and restore deleted items in Outlook