Fix a hacked email

Search for emails that the hacker sent from your account, or that the hacker may have viewed and then deleted. In your social media account, check for messages that the hacker might have sent from your account. This information will help you figure out what information was exposed. If it was, visit IdentityTheft. If you the hacker misused your sensitive information, like your Social Security number, to access or open new accounts, to apply for government benefits, to file federal taxes, or any other misuse, report it.

At IdentityTheft. Your sent-messages folder looks odd. Or, the folder may be sitting empty when you never deleted your sent messages. Strange messages appear on your social media accounts. You email account can act as a gateway into other accounts. Change your credentials.

If you do still have access to your account, make these changes right away: Get a new username and password. Choose a strong password. Secure passwords or passphrases should contain at least 12 characters, including numbers, symbols and a mix of capital and lowercase letters.

Use a unique password for every account. Password managers offer an easy and secure way to create complex passwords and to keep track of your login credentials. Change your security questions. The hacker may have gotten access to your account by guessing the answers to security questions. Avoid choosing questions with answers that can easily be guessed or found online. Turn on two-step verification.

Also known as multifactor authentication, this extra security measure typically requires you to enter your username and password along with a temporary passcode to get into an account. For example, the service provider may send the one-time passcode to your phone each time you try to log in. Without your phone in hand, a hacker will be much less likely to gain entry into an account that has two-step verification turned on.

Warn your contacts. Studies show that the average email account has password-protected accounts linked to it, so it's no wonder passwords often aren't as secure as they should be. A password manager can help you keep them in order and encrypted. Send an email to your contacts saying you were hacked. When an email comes from someone you know you are more likely to open it and click on links within it - even if the subject is weird.

Smarten up about spam, phishing, and scams. Spam comes at us from all angles; in the mailbox in front of your home junk mail in your email inbox, via IM, social networking sites, chats, forums, websites, and sadly, now also on your phone.

Now more than ever, it is important to be on the lookout for phishing scams. You have not won the lottery. No stranger is going to give you money for any reason.

No hot babe is lonely and waiting for your response. If there really was a miracle weight loss cure, it would be front page news and on every TV station.

If the message was legitimate, the message will be waiting for you in your account. Validate the legitimacy of any program, game, app, or video before downloading it. Confirm your password. Then, change your password. Make sure that it has small and capital letters, numbers, and special characters. Double check if your Recovery email, Recovery phone, and Security question are still the same.

Better yet, update this information. After resetting your password, follow the steps below to add more security to your Gmail account. It is necessary to ensure that there is protection at all times. The worst thing that can happen is for the hacker to take over your account.

It is best if you notice it right away, but some may take hours. Hackers will only need a few minutes to scan for sensitive information. Give a few more moments, and they can take over your other online accounts as well.

Confidential emails, such as shopping receipts, can also compromise your information. Emails from banks and online shops will put you at risk if not deleted immediately. Follow the steps below if you cannot access your account:. Go to Google Account Recovery.

If you can't remember your password, click Try different question. In this example, we used the recovery phone to send a verification code. Google will then ask you to change your password.

You will go through the Security Check once you are signed. Make sure to check and change your security information. It is important to set proper security measures once you've recovered your account. One of the most effective is to enable two-factor authentication.

Two-factor authentication will require an active phone number. It is another layer of security on top of your password. Every time you log in, Gmail will send a unique verification code through SMS. Additionally, Google has set-up several alternative second step verification.

Instead of an SMS, you can set-up a Google prompt on your phone. There is an authenticator app available as well. For a stronger security measure, a Security Key can be set-up. The USB device can be plugged-in any computer to authenticate your account. Beyond securing your Gmail accounts, you now have to think about your overall security.