Hacked Email Account

Recognize

Scammers gain access to your email account with the intent of gaining access to your messages, contacts or personal information.

If you think your email account has been hacked, we recommend that you act immediately, by following our guidelines below, and then proceed to our Report, Recover and Reinforce sections for further assistance. Remember, a hacked email account can affect your finances, career, privacy, safety and reputation.

Some Immediate Action Steps to Take

Change and create a new strong password for your account. Learn how from ConnectSafely.org.
If you used the same password for other accounts, it is important to change the password on those accounts as well.
Review and update/change your account security questions. Go to Settings > Security on most accounts.
Always enable two factor authentication (2FA) – which requires an additional code to log in.
Visit Have I Been Pwned to search if your email address has been compromised.
Alert your friends/family that your email account is hacked and that they may have received messages that you did not send.
If necessary, disable and create a new email account.

Report

FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)

Reporting cybercrime incidents via the link above is very important! The more national reporting data that is collected, the better the chance law enforcement has to catch the criminals and decrease online crime. Although the FBI does not resolve individual complaints directly, they will make your report available to local, state and other law enforcement partners. FAQs about IC3 reporting can be found here. Please read the FBI/IC3 privacy policy here. (If you believe that you’ve received a phishing email, please forward the email directly to reportphishing@apwg.org.)

Contact Your Email Service Provider to Report the Incident

Report to AOL Report to Apple Report to Google Report to Microsoft Report to Yahoo!

Recover

These resources have been gathered, selected and vetted to help simplify the process of recovering after a cybercrime incident has taken place. You may need to contact organizations outside FightCybercrime.org. Results will vary depending on your circumstances.

Federal Trade Commission: What to do When You’ve Been Hacked
Identity Theft Resource Center: What to do if you Think Your Internet Account is Compromised
StaySafeOnline: Regain Control of Your Hacked Account

Reinforce

Once you have notified the appropriate organizations and you are on the road to recovery, it is time to reinforce your cybersecurity, using these resources and tools.

Improve Your Security: Find cybersecurity tools to enhance your online safety
Easy E-Cleanup Checklist
Federal Trade Commission: Phishing: Don’t Take the Bait
Google: Avoiding and Reporting Google Scams
Lock Down Your Login: Six Simple Steps for Online Security
StaySafeOnline: Experience a Safer Email Experience
WikiHow: How to Check if your Gmail Account is Hacked
Federal Trade Commission: Phishing Scams and How to Spot Them

Implement Preventative Measures

Download our Six Steps to Better Security PDF.
Create secure and unique passwords for each account.
Avoid opening emails or clicking on any links/attachments from unknown parties.
Keep an eye on your financial or credit accounts with a free annual credit report.
Be sure your email accounts have a current recovery email and phone number for you to use if you get locked out.
Limit the personal information you share on social media. Hackers will gather your personal information. By knowing this information, hackers are then often able to answer your security questions correctly, thus gaining access to your accounts!