Urgent: How to recover a hacked e-mail

Mickky 0 Reputation points
2026-10-16T06:54:07.4366667+00:00

I am writing to request urgent assistance with my compromised email account. My email messages have disappeared, and my mailbox has been replaced with spam messages sent by the hacker.

First, I received access requests or notifications related to IMAP4, IMAP5, and IMAP6 while I was asleep. Since I was not using my account at the time, I believe these activities were unauthorized.

Initially, I changed my password, and the spam messages stopped. However, approximately 20 minutes later, the spam messages started appearing again. I then checked my recent sign-in activity at https://account.live.com/Activity and discovered access from multiple countries that I do not recognize.

I changed my password a second time, after which the spam messages began appearing less frequently. I then attempted to submit a support ticket and contacted a support representative through Live Chat. Although the representative tried to assist me, I was advised to contact the Outlook team. The Live Chat session ended before my email account issue could be resolved. I subsequently tried to open another support ticket using the instructions provided by the representative, but I was unable to do so.

As of my latest update, the spam messages stopped appearing while I was communicating with the Live Chat representative. However, I also noticed that new emails had been deleted up to the time when I changed my password.

I would appreciate your assistance with the following matters:

  1. Securing my account and ensuring that the hacker can no longer access it.
  2. Recovering my missing emails, including messages that existed before the account was compromised.

I am also concerned that other accounts registered using this email address, including Discord and Steam, have been compromised as well. This makes it particularly important for me to secure my email account and recover my previous messages.

I would be grateful if you could investigate this incident and provide clear instructions on how I can restore my email account to its normal state and recover my missing messages.

Thank you for your time and assistance. I look forward to your response.

Outlook | Web | Outlook.com | Account management, security, and privacy

1 answer

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  1. AI answer

    2026-10-16T06:54:29.0033333+00:00
    1. Run a full malware scan on the PC before changing anything else. In Windows Security, open Virus and threat protection > Scan options > Full scan > Scan now. This is important because changing the password before removing malware can let the attacker regain access.
    2. Change or reset the Microsoft account password again after the scan completes. Use a strong password.
    3. Review mailbox settings that attackers commonly change:
      • Connected accounts
      • Forwarding
      • Automatic replies
      • Rules that forward mail to unknown addresses or move mail to Notes, Junk Email, or RSS Subscriptions
    4. Check recent account activity. The recent activity page shows sign-ins from the last 30 days, including device or app-specific information. Since sign-ins from multiple countries were already seen, use that page to confirm whether suspicious access stops after the password reset.
    5. If the account is temporarily blocked because of unusual activity, unblock it by resetting the password. If unblocking by security code or password change does not work, use the Microsoft account sign-in recovery flow.
    6. For the missing mail:
      • Check Deleted Items.
      • Use Recover items deleted from this folder if available.
      • Also check Archive and Junk Email.
      • If messages do not appear in deleted-item recovery, they may have been permanently removed and might not be recoverable.
    7. If self-help does not resolve the account issue, use the sign-in helper tool for a hacked Microsoft account. It can provide guided self-help or offer the option to talk to an agent.
    8. Because other services tied to this email address may also be at risk, secure the email account first, then change passwords for those other accounts.

    Common signs in this case match a compromised Outlook.com or Microsoft 365 mailbox: deleted or missing mail, suspicious rules, suspicious sent items, external forwarding, and unusual sign-ins.

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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