My Email Account Has Been Hacked!

Today email accounts have become more than just a means of communication. People manage their business in their inbox. It is a source of valuable confidential information and a clients’ database for many organizations nowadays.

Furthermore, our email account verifies our identity. We use it to create accounts, register for events, etc. When we meet new people or potential customers we exchange our phones and emails again.

That is why email accounts are an attractive target for hackers and should be highly secured.

There are sophisticated techniques that scammers use to get access to a mailbox, which makes them difficult to notice. It might happen that your email has been compromise and you won’t even know.  However, there are some certain signs of a hacked email account:

• A changed password
• Suspicious emails in the SENT folder
• Unexpected password reset notifications
• Complaints from contacts
• Etc.

Be suspicious and look out for any of these signs in order to be able to act on time and restore or remove your account.

What to do if your email account is hacked

1. Change your password
   Should you notice unauthorized access to your inbox, the first thing you should do is change your password immediately.
    
2. Alert your contacts
   Hackers can harm your contacts by sending scams and malicious emails from your account. Make sure to let them know and protect themselves.
    
3. Reset your other account’s passwords
   It is crucial to change your passwords to other accounts especially payment-based. This will prevent fraudsters from accessing them and stealing money or valuable information.
    
4.  Check your computer for malware
   Hackers may have installed a malware on your computer to steal information and compromise password. It is important to scan your device and take actions to improve its security.
    
5. Create a new email account
   Sometimes it can be very difficult to recover your account. In those cases the best thing to do is open a new account. If you suspect that some other accounts have been compromised, it might be a good idea to create new ones.
    
6. Consider using two-factor authentication (2FA)
   Most providers support this option. It requires you to add another “factor” to grant access to a certain account (e.g. SMS code).
    
7. Ask for help
   If you are not confident what action to take, it would best to ask for professional help. It will probably require additional time and resources but the security of your business or personal information is always worth the investment.

A hacked email account is surely a headache. That is why preventive security measures are important. Make sure your accounts are properly protected. Keep yourself educated on the subject of security and know what to do when the worst happens.

For assistance with recovering compromised accounts, contact us IMMEDIATELY at [email protected] or call our office on +44 20 3371 7354.