Microsoft Deleted a Streamer's 25-Year-Old Account After Hack Despite Providing Ownership Proof

Just a day after Microsoft drew attention in Brazil over a court dispute involving account access, another case has gone viral after streamer Joshua Khane claimed Microsoft permanently deleted his 25-year-old account despite reportedly confirming that he was its rightful owner.

Streamer says decades of data disappeared after account hack

According to Khane, hackers got access to his Microsoft account and changed its recovery information, leaving him locked out. He says he later worked with Microsoft Support and provided enough evidence to prove ownership, but instead of restoring access, Microsoft informed him that the account had been permanently suspended.

Khane claims the account had more than two decades of Xbox history, thousands of euros worth of digital game purchases, Outlook emails, OneDrive documents, and irreplaceable family memories, including baby photos of his son. He described the outcome as shocking, arguing that one of the world’s largest tech companies should have been able to recover a compromised account instead of removing it permanently.

A screenshot shared by Khane (attached below) appears to show an email from Microsoft Customer Support explaining that the company investigated the account and confirmed unauthorized access had occurred. The message states that the account’s security information had already been changed and, under Microsoft’s security policies, those settings could not be restored.

The email further says Microsoft permanently suspended the account to prevent further misuse, adding that the decision is irreversible. It also claims that any Minecraft purchases linked to the account can’t be recovered, OneDrive files are no longer accessible because of encryption and privacy safeguards and recommends creating a brand-new Microsoft account instead.

The incident has quickly gained traction across social media platforms, with many users questioning Microsoft’s recovery process for hacked accounts and whether stronger options should exist for long-time customers who can verify ownership. Microsoft has not publicly commented on Khane’s specific claims at the time of writing. However, Khane has tagged XBOX CEO Asha Sharma, who has been actively engaging with fans on social media and have been fulfilling some of the requests. It’ll be interesting to see whether she intervenes in this matter.