can't receive emails

Question

I tried to open an email evite. It asked for my password and I gave it. It never did open but apparently we received access to all of my contacts. Shortly I started getting texts and calls concerning an evite I had sent! Then I realized my email account did not have any new emails in it.

Answer 1

Hi Mary Jo Davies,

It appears that the invitation was a phishing message and that someone may have gained access to your Outlook.com account. Since unauthorized invitations were sent and new messages are no longer arriving, please secure the account immediately.

Please note that this is a user-to-user forum, so contributors cannot access your account or inspect its mail delivery.

1. Run a full security scan on the device used to open the invitation. Then change your Microsoft account password from a trusted device: Change your Microsoft account password.
2. Review Recent activity. Mark any unfamiliar sign-ins as This wasn’t me, remove any security information you do not recognize, and enable two-step verification.
3. Sign in at Outlook.com and check:
   • Settings > Mail > Rules: delete any rule you did not create.
   • Settings > Mail > Forwarding: turn off unfamiliar forwarding.
   • Settings > Mail > Junk email: review blocked senders.
   • Settings > General > Storage: confirm the mailbox is not full.
4. Inform your contacts not to open the invitation or enter their passwords. Do not post your email address, password, security codes, or phone number in this public thread.

More guidance is available here: Recover a hacked or compromised Microsoft account.

If new messages still do not arrive after completing the steps above, contact Outlook.com Support for further assistance:

1. Go to Outlook.com and sign in.  
2. Select the Help icon, the question mark, in the upper-right corner. 
3. In the Help pane that opens, search for "account security", then press Enter.   
4. Scroll down the page until you see "Still need help?", click Yes.   
5. Choose "Chat with a support agent in your web browser."  
6. Review the issue description and confirm an email address you can access. 
7. Click Confirm to create the service request. The screen will indicate that your request has been submitted and the system is connecting you to Outlook.com live chat support, which may take a moment to load.  

I hope these steps help you secure your account and restore your incoming emails.