My microsoft account has been hacked

Question

A microsoft account I own has been hacked. It has 2 emails that you can actually use for it to sign in: ******@outlook.com and @hotmail.com. when i try to sign in with either of these, it tells me the account doesn't exist. But when I look on a different email that I AM signed in on and try to switch accounts to my main microsoft account, it shows me other emails that aren't mine: @outlook.com, l@embergranitemail.live, and th@outlook.com. Apologies if putting that first email fully was not appropriate. I don't know the other 2 emails fully. I need my microsoft account back because I have so many minecraft java worlds. These worlds are very very special to me and hold a really big, special place in my heart. I currently don't have the money to buy minecraft java again. I've tried so many things but nothing has worked. I don't know if there's even anything else to do about this, but if I could have some advice or information more on what to do, it would be greatly appreciated. I would hate to see my account go. For minecraft account information, my minecraft JAVA username is currently b0nb0nnie, my email is the same as what I said at the start of this rant, and my avatar (if this is needed) is a black cat with a purple t-shirt, pink shorts, and big purple eyes. Hope this helps and hope I can get my account back

Answer 1

Hi,

The primary method for recovering a hacked Microsoft account is the account recovery form. However, if the hacker has already removed your original email address from the account and replaced it with a different one, I'm afraid the recovery form is unlikely to work.

You can still try the steps Microsoft recommends for recovering a hacked account in the article linked below. If those steps do not work, I'm sorry to say that there are no other recovery options available, and the account is unfortunately considered lost.

https://support.microsoft.com/account-billing/how-to-recover-a-hacked-or-compromised-microsoft-account-24ca907d-bcdf-a44b-4656-47f0cd89c245

Answer 2

Use the official recovery path immediately, and do not create a new Microsoft account with the old email address while recovery is still being attempted.

1. First, scan the PC for malware before changing anything.
   • On Windows 8.1 or Windows 10/11, open Start, type Windows Defender, and run a full scan.
   • This matters because the account may have been compromised from malware, and changing passwords before cleaning the device can expose the new password again.
2. Try the Microsoft account recovery flow.
   • Use Recover your account and enter each known sign-in alias that belonged to the account.
   • If one alias is no longer recognized, try the other alias.
   • If prompted, receive the security code, verify identity, and set a new password.
3. If sign-in alerts or recent activity are still accessible, review them.
   • Go to Security basics.
   • Select Review activity.
   • If suspicious activity appears, select This wasn't me for unusual activity or Secure your account for recent activity.
4. If access is regained, immediately change the password.
   • From Security basics, select Change password.
   • Use a strong new password.
5. After recovery, check account settings that attackers commonly change.
   • Review connected accounts, forwarding, and automatic replies.
6. If the account now says it does not exist with both old aliases, use Microsoft’s sign-in helper/support path.
   • The official guidance for hacked accounts is to start with the sign-in helper tool, which can provide self-help steps or the option to talk to an agent.
   • The account help page also points to the Sign-in Helper for support options or hacked account issues.
7. If the username truly is no longer found, contact support through the official support option for that condition.
   • The guidance for “We couldn't find an account with that username” says to contact support and tell the support advocate that the username has stopped working.

Important:

• Do not reset or reboot the PC as a recovery strategy for the Microsoft account itself. The supported recovery path is malware scan first, then account recovery.
• Do not create a replacement Microsoft account using the old email while trying to recover the hacked one.
• The Minecraft profile details listed are not part of the documented recovery steps in the provided guidance.

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References:

• How to recover a hacked or compromised Microsoft account
• What happens if there's an unusual sign-in to your account
• Hello , welcome to Account help & learning
• My username and password have stopped working