Compromised account – request for backup or recovery assistance

Jan Dons Bjerre 0 Omdømmepoint
2026-04-27T07:22:56.5633333+00:00

Dear Microsoft Support,

I am writing to report that my Hotmail/Outlook account has been severely compromised. Unauthorized access has taken place.

I can confirm that emails in the mailbox were overwritten or replaced with threatening messages, which indicates deliberate misuse of the account.

Due to the severity of the incident, I have closed the affected email account and created a new one to prevent any further abuse.

I am therefore requesting information on whether you have any backup, recovery options, activity logs, or forensic records for the compromised account that could help document or restore its state prior to the attack.

The affected (now closed) email address is: [PII: Removed]@hotmail.com

Please inform me if additional verification or information is required from my side.

Thank you for your assistance in this matter.

Kind regards, [PII: Removed]

Outlook | Internet | Outlook.com | Kontostyring, -sikkerhed og -databeskyttelse
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  1. Alice-N 13,385 Omdømmepoint Eksternt Microsoft-personale Redaktør
    2026-04-28T05:40:57.3033333+00:00

    Disclaimer: Please note that this is Danish Q&A Forum, any threads should be posted in Danish. However, I will still provide an answer in English based on your initial response.   

    Please note that this is a user-to-user community. As moderators, I have limited access to internal development details. My role is to direct users to the appropriate support channels and resources. While I cannot provide backend analysis, I will do my best to assist you within my responsibilities.   

    Our forum is a public platform, and we will modify your question to hide your personal information in the description. Kindly ensure that you hide any personal or organizational information the next time you post an error or other details to protect personal data.    


    Hi Jan Dons Bjerre

    I understand you’re dealing with a severely compromised Outlook.com / Hotmail (home) account and would like to know whether Microsoft can provide backups, recovery data, or activity/forensic records after the account has been closed. Kindly follow these steps:

    Recovery after closure

    Once an account is closed and the mailbox data is deleted, recovery options become extremely limited. 

    1) If the account was closed recently and reactivation may still be possible

    Use Microsoft’s recovery form. If ownership can be verified, recovery may be possible only while the account is still within Microsoft’s recovery/deletion window. See: Help with the Microsoft account recovery form - Microsoft Support. Please also contact support immediately via:

    • Visit Contact - Microsoft Support (Only chat support is available for personal account)
    • Type a brief description of your issue in the search box 
    • Scroll down to the bottom > select Sign in to contact support 
    • Log in to another available personal Microsoft account.  
    • Under Products & Services, select "Other Products"; Under Categories, select "Manage account security", and click Confirm. 
    • Click "Chat with a support agent in your web browser" (during business hours)

    2) Preserve evidence you already have

    • If you received threatening messages, preserve what you can now (screenshots, timestamps, and full email headers where applicable). The “Recent activity” page covers sign-in metadata for the last 30 days when available, but you should also keep your own records for reporting purposes.
    • Use Microsoft’s reporting options in Outlook on the web (if you received it there): Right‑click the message > Security options > “Report a concern.” Link: Report a concern in Outlook on the web - Microsoft Support
    • If this is fraud/scam activity and you want to file a fraud report, submit a report through Microsoft’s fraud portal: Report Fraud - Microsoft
    • You can also use Microsoft’s Digital Trust & Safety / abuse reporting portal for abuse originating from Microsoft-hosted services.

    Notes

    • Closing the account can stop further abuse, but it can also reduce or eliminate recovery options once deletion is finalized. Recovery is only feasible while the account remains within Microsoft’s recovery/deletion process.
    • If you need backup/retention/eDiscovery-style capabilities in the future, those are enterprise features associated with Microsoft 365 work/school environments and admin-managed tooling.

    I hope this helps clear your doubt. Thank you for your time and understanding!

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