Fraudulent charge attempts from microsoft

If the charge attempts do not appear in any Microsoft account you control, contact the card issuer now to block further attempts and replace the compromised card; disputing completed charges alone does not prevent new attempts.^1^

1. Check whether the charge belongs to an account you control

1. Sign in to Microsoft’s Manage your payments page.
2. Select Investigate beside the unrecognized charge or payment method.
3. Check other Microsoft accounts you have used, including old accounts.
4. Ask family members whether they used the card for a Microsoft subscription, game, app, or other purchase.

Possible explanations include recurring billing, a family member’s purchase, a retried declined payment, a shipped pre-order or split order, and an in-app purchase.^1^

2. Take the matching action

If you find it in your account:

• Cancel the associated subscription or recurring billing from that account.
• If you do not recognize the activity, use Contact Microsoft Support, enter Billing, select Get Help, and then Contact Support.^1^

If it is not in any account you control:

• Microsoft Support generally cannot identify the owner of another person’s account or disclose that account’s information.
• Call the number on the back of the card and report that its payment details have been compromised.
• Ask the issuer to:
  • block additional Microsoft attempts;
  • replace the card or card number;
  • dispute any charges that have already posted;
  • advise how it handles attempts that are still pending or declined.

Microsoft specifically warns that merely disputing existing charges does not prevent additional fraudulent attempts; the payment provider must secure the card.^1^ A dispute raised through the card issuer is a chargeback, meaning the financial institution reverses or investigates a payment alleged to have occurred without authorization.^2^

Do not post the full card number, statement screenshot, transaction reference, or other financial details in Microsoft Q&A; it is a public user-to-user forum and cannot access billing records.

References

1. How to investigate a billing charge from Microsoft | Microsoft Support
2. What is a chargeback? | Microsoft Support