If you find a scammer has your personal email address and has hacked your account, here are some steps you can take to protect yourself:
- Scan your device for malware and viruses.Look for a service that proactively blocks new, unknown threats and safeguards your actions online. Set up a regular scan to run automatically if you haven’t already.
- Immediately change the password for your compromised email account.Use a strong, unique passphrase that’s at least 15 characters long (passphrases are best) and don’t use it for any other accounts. Change your security questions, too.
- Enable multifactor authentication (MFA) whenever possible.This adds an extra security layer requiring inputting a code.
- Check your other accounts.Look at other accounts across banking, finances, social media and other services you use and stay alert for any unusual activity.
- Contact credit agencies.It’s a good idea to reach out and ask credit reporting agencies to monitor your accounts in the months after you’ve been hacked.
Keep a close eye on your online accounts for suspicious activity and unusual transactions. The sooner you notice suspicious activity, the sooner you can take proactive measures to protect yourself against it.
