Here are the most likely causes for an unrecognized charge: A Microsoft subscription has recurring billing enabled. Someone you know, such as a family member, bought something with your card. You can now investigate this on the Manage your payments page. A previously declined charge was charged again. A pre-order or split order was shipped. Someone made an in-app purchase from an app, game, or ...

Phishing (pronounced: fishing) is an attack that attempts to steal your money, or your identity, by getting you to reveal personal information -- such as credit card numbers, bank information, or passwords -- on websites that pretend to be legitimate. Cybercriminals typically pretend to be reputable companies, friends, or acquaintances in a fake message, which contains a link to a phishing ...

A popular tactic of criminals is the "fake order" scam. The way it works is that you get a message, usually in email or text, that appears to be a routine confirmation for an order. Of course, you never ordered whatever product or service it's confirming. The message looks common enough, and it says that money will be charged to your credit card or withdrawn from your bank account for the ...

Find out how to submit a case review and learn more about your Xbox enforcements.

Microsoft will never proactively reach out to you to provide unsolicited PC or technical support. If you receive a phone call claiming to be from Microsoft, or see a pop-up window on your PC with a fake warning message and a phone number to call and get your "issue" fixed, it's better to be safe and not click any links or provide any personal information.

Microsoft prioritizes account security and works to prevent people from signing in without your permission. When we notice a sign-in attempt from a new location or device, we help protect the account by sending you an email message and an SMS alert. If your phone number or email changes, it's important to promptly update the security contact info on the Security basics page so we can work with ...

Tip Set up new passkeys first, then check your account for passkeys that no longer apply and delete them.

Hotmail is now Outlook.com. Learn how to sign in to access your Outlook.com, Hotmail, Live, or MSN email account.

Certificate authority (CA) A certificate authority is an entity similar to a notary public. It issues digital certificates, signs certificates to verify their validity and tracks which certificates have been revoked or have expired. Top of Page Digital signature assurances The following terms and definitions show what assurances are provided by digital signatures. Authenticity The signer is ...

Get answers to some basic questions about what two-step verification is, and how to set it up and use it to help keep your Microsoft account more secure.