My account and email received

No one on Microsoft Q&A can inspect your account, so open Microsoft’s Security page directly—without using links in the email—and review whether the phone-number change appears in your account activity.

Check whether the alert is genuine

1. In a new browser window, manually open: https://account.microsoft.com/security
2. Sign in and select Review activity.
3. Expand the phone-number change or other unfamiliar event:
   • In Unusual activity, select This wasn’t me.
   • In Recent activity, select Secure your account.

The Recent activity page covers the previous 30 days and can show phone numbers added or deleted, password changes, aliases, successful sign-ins, and other security events.^1^

Microsoft documents [Email] as the legitimate sender for unusual-sign-in alerts.^2^ However, do not rely only on the displayed sender address; verify the event through the Security page rather than clicking the message’s links or opening attachments.

If the change was not yours

1. Scan the device before changing the password.
   • If using Windows: open Windows Security → Virus & threat protection → Scan options → Full scan → Scan now.
   • On another platform, run a full scan using updated, trusted security software.
2. Return to Security → Change password and create a new, unique password that is not used for another service.
3. Review the security information and remove unfamiliar phone numbers, email addresses, or authentication methods. Before removing anything, ensure at least one verified recovery method you control remains on the account.
4. Turn on two-step verification and add a recovery email address and phone number you control.
5. In Outlook.com, inspect connected accounts, forwarding, and automatic replies for changes you did not make. Microsoft includes these checks in its compromised-account procedure.^3^
6. Check Sent Items, Deleted Items, and mailbox rules for unfamiliar activity. Do not reply to messages requesting your password; Microsoft does not request passwords by email.^4^

If you cannot sign in

Start with Microsoft’s compromised-account sign-in helper, which can provide self-service recovery steps or an available support option.^3^

If the password or security information has already been replaced, submit the account-takeover recovery form:

https://aka.ms/recovermyaccount

Provide previous passwords and any email addresses or phone numbers formerly associated with the account. Check the alternate contact email’s Inbox, Spam, and Junk folders after submission.^5^

If self-service recovery fails, use Contact Microsoft Support → Get Help → Contact Support. Support can route the case, but agents cannot manually access or change account details or send password-reset links.^6^

Do not post the email, phone number, password, recovery code, or screenshots containing personal information in this public forum.

References

1. What is the Recent activity page? | Microsoft Support
2. What happens if there's an unusual sign-in to your account | Microsoft Support
3. How to recover a hacked or compromised Microsoft account
4. Help protect your Outlook.com email account | Microsoft Support
5. My account got hacked. - Microsoft Q&A
6. Help with reusing phone numbers in a Microsoft account | Microsoft Support