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I’ve followed all the suggested procedures and have made no progress!

Bob Fahy 0 Reputation points
2025-12-08T20:59:44.38+00:00

My Hotmail account was hacked. It hadn’t been used for about 6 years. The account recovery process relies on AI to make all decisions on account ownership and identity but if an explanation could easily solve the identity issue, it can’t listen. The facts in my case are straightforward and simple but AI cannot listen. Customer support wastes time and they admit that even if you prove ownership/identity, they cannot circumvent the AI decision. I’ve followed all the rules since my account was taken on November 25, 2025 and I’m at my wits end. Some specifics:

Email account was old , no activity for over 6 years.

On the morning of November 25th I started to receive text messages, cell calls, Facebook DM’s

from contacts who were on the old email account asking if I was ok. Hacker was posing as me

and soliciting my friends, family and business contacts claiming I needed help. I have copies of

the emails.

AI asks for recent emails I have sent, to whom and what was the subject. The only recent traffic generated by the account was done by the hacker, AS ME, EMAILING MY CONTACTS! Since my name is the only consistent thread of identification, how can the account belong to anyone OTHER THAN ME!! The email address contains my name.

AI can’t understand this, but anyone with half a brain can see it in a minute!

What’s my best course of action?

thanks,

[Moderator's note: PII removed]

Outlook | Web | Outlook.com | Account management, security, and privacy

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  1. Victor1-V 2,775 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2025-12-13T07:38:40.1766667+00:00

    Dear Bob Fahy,

    Thank you for posting in the Microsoft Q&A forum.  

    I’ve read your description carefully, and I can truly understand how frustrating and exhausting this recovery process has been for you, especially given the unusual circumstances where the hacker's activity is blocking the automated verification. 

    Please note that as agents in this public community forum, I am unable to access customer accounts, view personal data, or bypass any automated security or recovery decisions. My permissions are limited to providing public troubleshooting and guidance. 

    Since you’ve already tried the standard forms and contacted support, your best path forward is to reconnect with Microsoft's live support and specifically request an escalation to the security or account recovery escalation team. When you speak with them, clearly explain that the account was inactive for years and the only "recent" emails were sent by the hacker, this is the key detail the team needs to investigate manually. Please follow below steps to reach a live chat support agent: 

    1. Visit the Microsoft Support contact page: Contact - Microsoft Support  
    2. In the search bar provided on the page, type "Account Recovery" and press Enter.  
    3. Click on the "Get Help" button that appears.  
    4. Scroll down the page until you see and click on the "Contact Support" option.  
    5. When prompted to select your product or service, choose "Other Products".  
    6. For the category, choose "Manage Account Security".  
    7. Look for and click on "Chat with a support agent in your web browser".  
    8. When prompted, provide a valid contact email where Microsoft can reach you regarding your case.  

    For insight into why the automated form may not succeed, you can review:  Account recovery unsuccessful - Microsoft Support 

    I know this has been a lengthy ordeal, and I appreciate your persistence. Please let us know if there’s any update after contacting support. 

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