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It is likely that your account has been compromised by a hacker --- most likely due to a low complexity password XX a successful phishing attempt.

I understand the steps you have taken, but I want to make sure that all avenues are covered. If you have exhausted these options, it is highly unlikely you will ever recover your account.

If you can log in to your account at http://www.live.com, then click on your name in the upper right corner of the window, and go to Account.

From here, change your password, security question, and password XXXXX email address.

I would suggest using a password of at least 10-20 characters, with a mixture of UPPERCASE, lowercase, and numbers (1234), preferably alternating (i.e. M1y2p3A4s5S6w7O8r9D). Also make your security questions very difficult to answer. Don't use something as common as mother's maiden name or first child's name. Make the answer very difficult, and I would even suggest throwing in a sequence of numbers at the end of the answer to make it harder to be hacked.

If you cannot access your account, please go to the forgot my password page (https://account.live.com/ResetPassword.aspx)

Hotmail keeps record of your past data. They will match your IP addresses from your last access points and match it with the one you are requesting from. From there they will email you the new password at your new email address provided from you.

If that is unsuccessful, you can try this link as well (https://windowslivehelp.com/PasswordReset.aspx).

Please be honest in all information entered in this form. The process may take between 48 hours and up to a week for them to return to you.

Also, before you log in, look at the address bar of your browser to make sure you are on the right site to log in. (i.e. make sure your address bar says https://www.hotmail.com and not something like http:// 123abc. randomurl.com/ www.hotmail.com/). A lot of phishers/hackers have been using the tactic of making a page look exactly like your log on page to trick you into typing your password.

If in doubt, type in the base URL yourself (i.e. http://www.hotmail.com) in the browser.

 

Hotmail technical support phone number is (XXX) XXX-XXXX, but I will forewarn you. Unless you are a Hotmail Plus (paid service) member, you will most likely not be able to get any support over the phone.

The problem with free e-mail services is that they rely on security question/answer combinations for verification. If you forget these and/or your account is hacked and a hacker changes the info, you have no way to verify your account. With paid e-mail services, you can easily verify your identity by verifying your billing information.

 

In the future, you must remember that no email service provider will ever ask you for username/password XXX/XX any personal information (address, birthdate, etc.).

 

In any case, I would suggest to take the security measures suggested in the future to prevent a hacker from getting into your account.

 

If you have tried all methods above, the only option I can recommend to retrieve your password XXXX this point is emailing abuse@hotmail.com, explaining your situation, giving them details of your contacts, last received emails, last sent emails, and any other details like purchases you may have made with the Microsoft Live account (using your hotmail address) or any point you had your credit card or bank account associated with your Hotmail account.

From there, you would just have to wait and hope that they "believe" that you are who you are and assist you.

You have to look it from the other side. If you were a hacker, you could try the same thing. If they believed you (as a hacker), they could grant you the account, when it isn't yours.

So it is really about how much detail you put in and if the Hotmail rep receiving the email believes you.

If you cannot recover your account, the only thing you can do is email abuse@hotmail.com detailing what has happened and notifying them that you account has been hacked and you would like it to be closed. If any of your friends receive those "send me money I'm in another country" emails, have them forward those messages to abuse@hotmail.com. Hotmail will likely close the account down from there.

If you have used the methods above and you have been unsuccessful in recovering the account, there is nothing you can do to recover the account.

Feel free to ask any questions, as I am here to assist you.

Remember, if for any reason you are unsatisfied with my answer, we can continue the conversation until you’re satisfied and Accept my answer. I can address follow up questions at no extra charge and I’m always here to help. Thank you for using JustAnswer!