Fraudulent Charges

Contact your bank or card issuer immediately to block further transactions, report the payment method as compromised, and dispute all seven charges—not merely dispute them, because replacing or blocking the compromised payment method helps prevent additional charges.^1^

1. Check whether the charges belong to your Microsoft account

1. Sign in to your Microsoft account’s Manage your payments page.
2. Select Investigate beside the unrecognized charge.
3. Compare the dates and amounts with all seven transactions. Microsoft notes that unexpected charges can come from recurring subscriptions, family purchases, previously declined transactions, split orders, or in-app purchases.^1^
4. Also review Services & subscriptions and Order history under every Microsoft account you use.

Do not post card numbers, order numbers, email addresses, or other account details in this public forum.

2. If the charges appear in your account

• Open Get Help from the Windows Start menu, enter Billing, select Contact Support, and request investigation of the unauthorized transactions. Microsoft Support must handle account-specific billing information privately.
• If the transaction is an unwanted Microsoft 365 subscription, cancel it first to check refund eligibility. Cancellation does not automatically guarantee a refund.[^2^](https://support.microsoft.com/accounts-billing/subscriptions/[Subscription ID] "How to get a refund on a Microsoft subscription | Microsoft Support")
• Continue the bank dispute unless your bank or Microsoft instructs otherwise. A chargeback is the formal process by which your financial institution disputes and may reverse a payment made without your consent.^3^

3. If the charges do not appear in your account

The payment method may have been used on another Microsoft account. Ask the bank to:

• Block or replace the compromised card or payment method.
• Open a separate dispute for each of the seven transactions.
• Check for pending or additional attempted charges.

Microsoft Billing Support generally cannot disclose or investigate another person’s account directly; Microsoft can respond through the card issuer’s formal dispute process.

4. Secure the account if unauthorized access is possible

If the purchases appear in your account or you notice unfamiliar sign-ins:

1. Run a full malware scan before changing the password:
   Windows Security → Virus & threat protection → Scan options → Full scan → Scan now.
2. Change the Microsoft account password after the scan. Microsoft’s compromised-account procedure specifies this order.^4^
3. In the Microsoft account security dashboard, open Additional security options, scroll to Sign out everywhere, and select Sign out. Sign-out can take up to 24 hours and does not include Xbox consoles.^5^
4. Review recovery information and enable two-step verification.
5. Remove unrecognized payment methods and subscriptions.

Keep screenshots or statements showing the seven amounts and timestamps for the bank and Microsoft Support, but redact the full payment-card number.

References

1. How to investigate a billing charge from Microsoft | Microsoft Support
2. [How to get a refund on a Microsoft subscription | Microsoft Support](https://support.microsoft.com/accounts-billing/subscriptions/[Subscription ID])
3. What is a chargeback? | Microsoft Support
4. How to recover a hacked or compromised Microsoft account | Microsoft Support
5. How to sign out of your Microsoft account everywhere | Microsoft Support