Hacked emails

[zaramcnaughton]

My grans @blueyonder email was hacked a few weeks ago. They changed her password and wasn’t able to get back in.  
she moved from virgin media a couple years ago but was told that she can still keep her blueyonder email address. She cannot reset her password through outlook because the internet provider is Virgin Media. When she phoned all they said was your account was closed down but it’s been fine for years before it was hacked. They have said 3 times they are sending out letters to reset but they never arrive. Emails are still sending and they aren’t bouncing back so the account is still open. They aren’t very helpful over the phone they are just saying she won’t be able to access it. When we search her email address on virgin media it says it does not exist, but it does and always has. Not really sure what to do as we haven’t been given any info on how to reset her account.

[Graham_A]

Unfortunately for your gran there has been a lot of misinformation in the reported history.  The main issue is that it has always been the case that a current VM broadband account is required for the continued use of any VM email address, including those on the blueyonder domain.  Once a customer leaves any associated email addresses should be deleted after 90 days.  However sometimes they continue to operate for years before finally being shut down.

The VM Forum Team staff should be able to determine the exact status of the email address concerned but may need to clear security with your gran to do so if you don't have the relevant details.

They should respond here either later this evening or tomorrow.

[Travis_M]

Hi @zaramcnaughton

Thanks for posting on your community forum!
 

I do apologise but after the broadband account is disconnected unfortunately so would any Virgin Media email accounts.

I can take one last look to confirm that the email has shut down now if you'd like?

Regards

[zaramcnaughton]

Thanks for confirming that! 

that would be great please 

its [MOD EDIT: Email address removed]

[Molly_T]

Hi Zara, 

Sadly as your Gran no longer has an account with us with active services the email account has become 'orphaned'. 

(Meaning it has not got an an active parent account it is associated with). 

The email account was a part of her active services with us. Once an account has been closed the associated email should only stay open for 90 days - although in some cases it may stay open much longer than this. 

The only way she would be able to potentially recover this account would be if she was to open a new account with us, and transfer the old email address over. All email addresses on the current active Virgin Media account would be lost and replaced with the emails from the old account (you can't merge and keep both).  For this to happen she would also need to ensure:

• Both the old and new Virgin Media accounts are in the same name (we can only talk with the account holder)
• She is able to pass security on both account.

The other thing I would suggest trying is running a full antivirus scan on all devices associated with the account, and then trying a password reset again - using a completely new password. 

Let us know how you get on following the scan, and if you have any further questions with the updated information. 

All the best