What to do if You Get Hacked
Author: James Greening
Phishing is one of the most widespread online scams with scammers targeting millions of people daily. According to the FBI, phishing was the most common cybercrime in 2020 and the number of incidents nearly doubled compared to 2019. Not only is it important to know how to prevent falling for a phishing attack but you should also know what to do in case you end up losing your account to hackers.
How to Recover from a Hack
You could lose any of your accounts to hackers, be it your email account, social media account, netbanking account or even your credit card details. In any case, there are steps you can take to recover the lost account with varying chances of success. Keep in mind that in most cases, it is not easy to recover an account that you have lost control of.
Run an Antivirus Scan
If you did not lose access to the account by clicking on a malicious link or if you don’t know how your account got compromised, there is a chance that your device might be infected with a virus such as malware. Run an antivirus scan to detect and remove potential threats.
If you are a Microsoft Windows user, you can use the built-in Windows Security software to run a basic scan. You can also opt for a paid solutions such as those offered by our partner Trend Micro Antivirus that offer wider security. Additionally, you could also run a scan to detect malware using applications such as Spybot or Malwarebytes.
Contact the Bank or Credit Card Company
If your banking credentials or credit card details have been phished, contact your bank/credit card company at the earliest so that the account/card can be blocked. This will help you avoid losing money or at least any more than you already have.
The bank will not hold you responsible for the transactions made by scammers, thereby reversing all charges, and help you regain access to you account or issue a new card.
Contact the Email Provider or Social Media Platform
Under normal circumstances, the first step to is simply try to reset your password. However, hackers immediately change the account password and associated email ID to prevent the original owner from regaining access.
If your email or social media account has been compromised, you can follow the steps laid down by the company to help you recover your account.
- Gmail: Secure a hacked or compromised Google Account
- Yahoo: Help! I Think I've Been Phished!
- Outlook: My Outlook.com account has been hacked
- Facebook: Report Compromised Account
- Instagram: Hacked Accounts
- Twitter: What to do if your account has been hacked
Secure Your Other Accounts
We tend to use the same passwords across multiple accounts so that it is easier to remember. This also makes it easier for hackers to access multiple accounts of yours if they share the same email ID/password combination. Immediately change the password of any account that has the same login credentials as the compromised account.
Considering installing a password manager to create and use a unique password for each account. Make sure to enable two-factor authentication (2FA) so that your account cannot be accessed even if someone has your password.
Inform Family & Friends
Scammers are known to use hacked accounts to target family members and friends of the account owner. Scammers might try to impersonate you in order to convince people you know into sending them money. You can prevent them from being tricked by letting everyone know that your account has been compromised and any requests for money are not from you.
The points given above are some basic steps for trying to regain access to a hacked account and prevent future hacks from taking place. Follow Scamadviser on social media and subscribe to our newsletter for tips on recognizing phishing email and text messages.
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