Inability to sign in to my Microsoft account, as somebody has logged in and changed my recovery email.

Question

Inability to sign in to my Microsoft account, as somebody has logged in and changed my recovery email.

Sara Mesic 0

I was using one of my emails attached to my current Microsoft account. I had no issue signing in and using it. However, approximately 5-10 minutes later, I tried to sign in again. Except this time, it told me my Microsoft account did not exist. I tried to sign in with outlook, and something different happened. it said I had to verify with a recovery email, as shown in the attached image. However, the listed recovery email does not belong to me. I realised that somebody had managed to sign in to my Microsoft account and change my recovery email, therefore making me unable to use it. I have tried to talk to the ai support assistant for Microsoft about this issue however it was not providing me with a response.

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Answer 1

Chloe-V 13,620 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hi @Sara Mesic

I’m sorry to hear that you suddenly lost access to your Microsoft account. Seeing an unfamiliar recovery email address is understandably concerning and may indicate that the account’s security information or sign-in details were changed without your permission.

Please use the Microsoft Account Sign-in Helper. Enter the original email address, phone number, or another alias that was previously associated with the account. The tool will check the account details and provide the recovery or support options available for your situation.

If you are directed to the account recovery form, complete it from a device and location that you previously used to access the account. Provide as much accurate information as possible, such as previous passwords, exact email subject lines, contacts, Skype details, Xbox information, or Microsoft purchase details. Help with the Microsoft account recovery form

Please note that this is a user-to-user support forum. Moderators, contributors including external Microsoft employees cannot directly intervene in Microsoft product features or access back-end systems. Our role is limited to providing technical guidance on reported issues, requests, or ideas only.

I hope the Sign-in Helper provides an available recovery option for your account.

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

Sara Mesic 0 Reputation points

2026-09-28T19:02:05.7033333+00:00

Hello @Chloe-V ,

I have previously attempted to use the sign-in helper several times now, although I am met with a message telling me that there were no problems found with my account.
As for the recovery form, I have also tried to complete it, although I faced a message stating that "this Microsoft account does not exist".

Nevertheless, I appreciate the support.
Chloe-V 13,620 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-09-28T23:36:08.3966667+00:00
Hi @Sara Mesic

I’m sorry that you are still unable to access your account, especially after trying both the Sign-in Helper and the recovery form several times. I understand how frustrating and concerning it is when the tools provide conflicting results.

At this point, please contact Microsoft Support directly and follow these steps:

Select Show expanded list of products.

Choose Outlook > Get Home support.

Search for Account Recovery, then select Get Help > Contact Support.

Sign in with another Microsoft account if you cannot access the affected account.

Ask the Support Assistant, type“Talk to live chat agent”, then select Contact Support.

Select Other Products > Manage Account Security > Chat with a support agent via web browser.

When connected, explain that the Sign-in Helper reports no problems, while the recovery form says that the account does not exist.