Microsoft Account Hacked or Compromised

Follow these steps immediately to try to recover the Microsoft account and secure it:

1. Use the official hacked-account recovery helper
   Since the email/alias was changed and sign-in now says the account does not exist, start with Microsoft’s dedicated hacked-account flow. It will route to the correct self-help or recovery options and, where possible, offer contact with an agent:
   • Go to the sign-in helper: Start.
2. Run through the hacked/compromised account guidance
   The official process for a hacked Microsoft account is documented here:
   • How to recover a hacked or compromised Microsoft account.
     Key parts of that guidance:
   • First, scan the PC with an up-to-date antivirus (or Windows Defender on Windows 10/11) before changing any passwords.
   • Then change or reset the Microsoft account password if sign-in is still possible.
   • After regaining access, review account settings such as connected accounts, forwarding, and automatic replies to remove any attacker changes.
3. If sign-in fails / account “doesn’t exist”: use the account recovery form
   When the alias and security info have been changed, recovery is only possible through the automated account recovery process. Support cannot bypass this:
   • Use the “Recover your account” flow described in My username and password have stopped working: Recover your account from that article.
   • If prompted to use the dedicated recovery form (ACSR), fill it out with as much detail as possible. The article Help with the Microsoft account recovery form explains how to prepare:
     • Provide all old passwords that might have been used.
     • Use exact subject lines of emails sent from that account, and names of contacts.
     • Include correct domain (for example, @outlook.com vs @outlook.co.uk).
     • Use any information from old emails, services used (Outlook, Skype, Xbox, etc.), and any other details remembered.
   • Backup codes and old emails that prove ownership should be used as data points when answering the recovery questions.
4. Understand the limitation if security info and alias were fully changed
   From Microsoft Q&A guidance in similar hacked-account cases:
   • Account recovery is an automated process; even Microsoft Support cannot manually restore access.
   • If the attacker has changed the primary alias and/or replaced all security info (email/phone/2FA), and the recovery form cannot verify ownership, the account is usually no longer recoverable.
   • If a recovery request is denied, submitting another request with more accurate and detailed information is the only available option. If repeated attempts fail, the account and its data (including OneDrive) cannot be restored.
5. If a security info change is pending
   If at any point a “security info change is still pending” message appears when trying to manage security info, follow the built-in options on that page:
   • Use Let us know if the change was not made by the account owner to trigger the unauthorized-change flow.
   • If access to the old proofs still exists and the change was initiated by the owner, use Cancel this request.
6. After (and if) access is restored
   Once access is regained:
   • Immediately remove any unknown aliases from “Manage how you sign in”.
   • Add additional secure verification methods (phone, alternate email, Microsoft Authenticator, etc.) as described in How to help keep your Microsoft account secure.
   • Review recent activity on the Security basics page and mark any sign-ins that were not performed by the owner so Microsoft can help secure the account.

If the automated recovery form ultimately cannot verify ownership, there is no further escalation path documented; in that case, the account and its stored data cannot be recovered.

References:

• How to recover a hacked or compromised Microsoft account
• Hello , welcome to Account help & learning
• What happens if there's an unusual sign-in to your account
• My username and password have stopped working
• Help with the Microsoft account recovery form
• How to help keep your Microsoft account secure
• Account hacked - Microsoft Q&A
• My account got hacked - Microsoft Q&A
• My account got hacked. - Microsoft Q&A
• Need help with hacked microsoft account - Microsoft Q&A
• How do I send an email to Microsoft about my account being hacked and taken over by <removed> ? - Microsoft Q&A