I had an email that said a remote trojan hacker has taken over my account

Sadiya Latif 5 Reputation points
2026-11-12T20:29:50.0333333+00:00

The email said they have taken over my account. All my emails have disappeared and I cant get them back. I can login but my emails are not there. I have since set up every security measure possible. Will i be able to get my emails back and if so may i please get some advice on how to do so.

Outlook | Web | Outlook.com | Account management, security, and privacy
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  1. AI answer

    2026-11-12T20:30:58.7066667+00:00

    Use Outlook.com on a computer immediately to restore the messages from Deleted Items or the secondary Recoverable Items area before the 30-day recovery window expires.

    Recover the missing email

    1. Sign in to Outlook.com using a PC or Mac browser. The secondary recovery area is unavailable in mobile browsers and the Outlook mobile apps.
    2. Open Deleted Items.
    3. If the messages appear there:
      • Select them.
      • Select Restore, or Move to → Inbox.
    4. If they are not there, remain in Deleted Items and select Recover items deleted from this folder above the message list.
    5. Select the missing messages, then select Restore. Outlook restores them to their original folders when possible.

    Messages removed from Deleted Items are recoverable for 30 days. Junk Email is also retained for 30 days; after that, it is automatically deleted and cannot be recovered. ^1^

    Also check these locations before concluding that the messages were deleted:

    • Archive
    • Junk Email
    • The Other tab, if Focused Inbox is enabled
    • Filter → All, to remove any active message-list filter

    Check for mailbox changes left behind

    Since security protection has already been enabled, do not repeat the password and verification changes. Instead, inspect settings that can continue hiding or redirecting mail:

    1. In Outlook.com, select Settings (gear) → View all Outlook settings → Mail.
    2. Open Rules and remove any rule you did not create, particularly one that deletes, archives, or moves messages.
    3. Open Forwarding and remove any unknown forwarding address.
    4. Check Automatic replies, connected accounts, and other unfamiliar mailbox changes. Microsoft specifically recommends reviewing forwarding and related account settings after a compromise. ^2^

    Confirm whether the account was accessed

    Review the Microsoft account Recent activity page. It displays sign-ins from the last 30 days, including device or app information. Expand unfamiliar entries and, where offered, select This wasn’t me. ^3^

    The threatening email itself does not prove that a “remote trojan” took over the account; scam messages often make that claim. However, missing mail and unrecognized successful sign-ins should be treated as evidence of possible unauthorized access.

    If recovery returns no messages

    If Recover items deleted from this folder is empty and the messages are outside the recovery period, they have probably been permanently removed. Microsoft’s documented self-service process does not provide another mailbox backup to restore.

    Contact Outlook.com support from Outlook.com:

    1. Select Help on the menu bar.
    2. Enter a description such as “Mailbox compromised and all messages deleted.”
    3. If self-help does not resolve it, scroll to Still need help? and select Yes. ^1^

    Do not pay, reply to, or open links or attachments in the threatening message.

    References

    1. Email is missing from your Outlook.com inbox | Microsoft Support
    2. How to recover a hacked or compromised Microsoft account | Microsoft Support
    3. Check the recent sign-in activity for your Microsoft account
    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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  2. EmilyS726 280.2K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-11-12T21:02:49.4566667+00:00

    Normally, I would have you go through the instruction below to tackle this issue, but since there's an active outlook outage at the moment, so there's a chance that you may not be able to perform the instructions.

    Regarding the outage: It is an issue on Microsoft's end. Service status can be monitored here https://status.cloud.microsoft/ however, even this page is loading extremely slow right now.

    Or via Msft's X/Twitter page: https://x.com/MSFT365Status/status/2120938282204688468

    As forum helpers, we don't have insider information regarding when this will be restored. I am sorry.

    ========

    Otherwise, this is what you would do if outlook.com is working properly.

    Please complete these steps on a computer, not on a smartphone or tablet.

    Step 1: Sign out everywhere FIRST

    Go to https://account.microsoft.com/security and sign in.

    Go to Manage how I sign in, scroll down, and click Sign out everywhere.

    This is intended to disconnect any active sessions that may still have access to your Microsoft account.

    IMPORTANT: This process can take up to 24 hours to fully take effect. This means someone who is already signed into your account may not be disconnected immediately. Do not expect immediate results right away.

    Continue the following after the 24-hour wait is over.

    ====================

    Step 2: Review your Outlook settings

    Go to https://www.outlook.com and sign in.

    Click the gear icon in the top right corner to open Settings.

    Under Mail, review the following areas:

    Rules

    If any rules are listed that you did not create, delete them. If you do not use rules at all, you can delete all of them.

    Conditional formatting

    If anything is set up there that you did not create, delete it.

    Forwarding and IMAP

    If you see any entries or settings you did not create, remove them. Turn off POP and IMAP if you do not use them.

    Junk

    Review your Safe senders and Blocked senders lists. Remove any unfamiliar entries from the Safe senders list.

    After that, exit Settings and return to Outlook.com.

    Open the To Do section by clicking the blue checkmark icon on the left side. Delete anything there that was not created by you.

    ====================

    Step 3: Review your Microsoft account

    Go to https://account.live.com.

    Under Your info > Sign-in preferences, review all aliases on your account. If you see any alias you do not recognize, remove it. Be careful not to delete any legitimate email address you still use.

    Next, go to the Devices section of your Microsoft account and remove any devices you do not recognize.

    ====================

    Step 4: Secure your account

    Go to the Security section of your Microsoft account.

    Change your password to a new, strong password that you have never used before.

    Enable two-step verification.

    Go to Manage how I sign in and make sure all security contact information belongs to you.

    On that same page, scroll down to App passwords and remove any existing app passwords you do not need.

    ====================

    Step 5: Review app permissions

    Go to https://account.microsoft.com/privacy/app-access.

    Review the apps that have permission to access your Microsoft account.

    Click Don't allow for anything you do not recognize or no longer use.

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