Outlook Age Verification, locked, demanding payment + personal data

TheDeerDude said:

Hello,

My mother was trying to log into her Outlook Mail account in her web browser. It asked her to enter her DoB (which she already set when she created the account, years ago) and so she did.

Now, Microsoft is demanding either a copy of some official document (passport, driving license, etc) or a "small non-refundable payment" in order to confirm that, my mother who's an adult, is in fact an adult.

She is very upset and distressed by this, because she cannot access some important documents she needs, that are on that account.

Microsoft at its finest - making all the wrong decisions and annoying as many people as possible. Why not verify only the new accounts, and leave the years-old ones in peace? To get that "small non-refundable" payment from all their users? or to gather their personal data?

This is just sick and plain wrong, holding somebody's data hostage, and demanding a payment and personal data.

I am NOT interested in giving in, nor am I interested in calling Microsoft, because they don't care and they don't want to help.

Is there any way to bypass this stupid unnecessary bullsh!t?

Thank you.

Hi.
I don't think this is a case of malware/scammers, but perhaps something fishy has happened with her email account.
Has your mother not used the account in a while?
Do you know if any one-time access codes were generated?
Has she tried logging in using a phone, which already was setup and had access?
Is it possible to answer the series of questions that were created when opening the account to prove identity?

Have you checked to see if the email has been compromised on the Have I been pwned site?
Have I Been Pwned: Check if your email has been compromised in a data breach

(They also have a tab for checking passwords.)

Like you, I don't like the idea of sending off copies of identification documents. But I think something has happened to the account, (whether it's been hacked or whatever), and therefore it has been locked-down somehow. Why they say "verifying you're an adult" is beyond me. Perhaps she "fat-fingered" the year when she first made the account, and didn't realize she had made a mistake?

I think the small, non-refundable fee is $1.00. Are you mother's documents worth the cost? I'd rather part with $1 than have to talk to customer support...

Once you're in there, check the year of her DoB, and setup 2FA, and generate some one-time passwords so you don't have to go through this again.

Just to clear possible misconceptions. Yes MS does ask for ID or a creditcard as proof of age.

Age verification for parental consent - Microsoft Account

slicendice said:

Just to clear possible misconceptions. Yes MS does ask for ID or a creditcard as proof of age.

Age verification for parental consent - Microsoft Account

Indeed. She probably played (testing) Family settings, which are easy accessible via Windows Defender page.

Why does Microsoft charge a small fee as part of the consent process for a child account?

Microsoft takes steps to verify that an adult is giving a child permission to use a Microsoft account. One of the commonly used methods that’s approved under regulation is to charge a small nonrefundable fee to a credit card or debit card that has a CVV number. You can deposit the fee into your Microsoft account or your child’s new Microsoft account, and don’t worry, the credit or debit card will not be added to your child’s account.
Will I be charged for each child I sign up?
No. Once you’ve confirmed that you’re an adult, you can use your Microsoft account to approve additional child accounts at no charge.
I don't have a credit or debit card. How can I verify my age?
There are other ways of verifying your age. Tell me more