Someone opened a fraudulent Hotmail account in my name.

Question

Someone opened a fraudulent Hotmail account in my name. Hacked my rr account and sent email to my contacts asking for gift cards. Please close the fake account ******@hotmail.com

Answer 1

Hello

Can you go here: https://msrc.microsoft.com/report/

Scroll down, and use the Report Outlook Spam option to report it.

Answer 2

Microsoft Support and community forums cannot directly close or modify Hotmail/Outlook.com accounts on behalf of users. Only the automated account systems and the actual account owner (who can sign in) can perform closure.

For this situation, focus on two parallel tracks: securing existing accounts and reporting the abuse/identity theft.

1. Secure existing accounts
   • For any Microsoft/Outlook.com/Hotmail account personally owned, follow the hacked/compromised-account process:
     • Use the sign-in helper and recovery process described in How to recover a hacked or compromised Microsoft account. Start with the helper tool: select Start on that page and follow the prompts to recover and secure the account.
     • Before changing passwords, run a full antivirus/malware scan on all devices used to access email (PC, phone, tablet). On Windows 10/11 or 8.1, use Windows Defender as described, then:
       1. Open Start.
       2. Search for Windows Defender or select Windows Defender.
       3. Follow on-screen instructions and run a full scan.
     • After cleaning devices, change passwords on all affected email accounts and make them strong and unique.
   • If Outlook.com/Hotmail is used, also review account settings for compromise:
     • Check connected accounts, forwarding, and automatic replies for anything not personally configured, and remove suspicious entries.
2. Report identity theft and fraudulent use of name
   • Treat the fraudulent Hotmail account and the gift-card scam as potential identity theft and online fraud:
     • Follow the guidance in Protecting yourself from identity theft online – What you can do if someone steals your identity:
       1. File a police report and keep a copy for banks and other institutions.
       2. Place a fraud alert on credit reports with a major credit bureau (if in the U.S.).
       3. Close or secure any accounts that were accessed or opened fraudulently and change passwords/PINs.
       4. Report the incident to the appropriate national authority (for example, the U.S. FTC at https://ftc.gov/idtheft if located in the U.S.).
       5. Report suspicious or fraudulent incidents to the service provider. For Microsoft services, use the Report Abuse options or the Microsoft – Report a technical support scam page referenced in the article.
   • Inform contacts that a fraudulent account is impersonating and that any gift-card or money requests should be ignored and reported as phishing.
3. If personal Outlook.com account is beyond recovery
   • If a personal Outlook.com account has been hacked and cannot be recovered, follow the hacked-account guidance first. If access is regained and the decision is to stop using it entirely, it can be closed using the Close your Outlook.com account process:
     • Closing Outlook.com requires closing the entire Microsoft account, which permanently deletes email, contacts, and access to other Microsoft services (Xbox, OneDrive, Skype, BitLocker keys). Review the warnings and prerequisites in Close your Outlook.com account before proceeding.
4. Ongoing protection
   • For Outlook.com specifically, follow the practices in Help protect your Outlook.com email account:
     • Be cautious of phishing emails and fake notifications.
     • Watch for yellow and red safety bars in Outlook.com messages and avoid interacting with suspicious content.
   • If Microsoft Defender’s identity theft monitoring is in use, contact the restoration support number in the app to work with Experian’s identity theft specialists for remediation and monitoring.

The fraudulent Hotmail account itself can only be disabled or closed by Microsoft’s automated systems or by the person who controls it. Use the abuse-reporting mechanisms and law-enforcement/identity-theft steps above to get it investigated and to protect against further misuse of identity.

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References:

• How to recover a hacked or compromised Microsoft account
• Help protect your Outlook.com email account
• Protecting yourself from identity theft online
• Close your Outlook.com account