My Email Was Hacked, What’s the Terrible First Thing I Should Do to Fix It?

Feeling Lost After an Email Hack? How Can You Instantly Protect Your Important Accounts?

Finding out someone has hacked into your email can be scary. Your email is a key to your online life. Bad actors can use it to get into other accounts, read private messages, or send fake emails to people you know. If you think your account is compromised, you must act fast to limit the damage.

Signs Your Email Account Was Hacked

You might notice strange things happening with your account. Pay attention to these warning signs.

• You cannot log in even with the right password.
• You see emails in your sent folder that you did not write.
• Your account settings, like your signature or profile picture, have been changed.
• You get notifications about logins from places or devices you do not recognize.
• Friends or family tell you they received spam messages from your email address.

A Step-by-Step Emergency Checklist

Follow these steps immediately if you suspect a hack. Taking quick, calm action is the best way to regain control.

Change Your Password

If you can still access your account, change your password right away. Make the new one strong and unique. Use a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols. Do not use this password for any other account.

Use the “Forgot Password” Link

If you are locked out, use the account recovery option on the login page. This usually sends a reset link to a backup email address or a code to your phone. Follow the instructions carefully to set a new password.

Review and Secure Your Account

Once you are back in, check all your settings. Look for any forwarding rules that send your emails to an unknown address and delete them. Review your account activity for any logins you do not recognize and log them out.

Inform Your Contacts

Let your friends, family, and colleagues know that your account was compromised. Warn them not to open strange links or reply to suspicious messages that appear to come from you.

Check Other Accounts

Think about what other online accounts use your email for login or password recovery. This includes banking, social media, and shopping sites. Check them for any strange activity and consider changing their passwords too, starting with the most important ones.

How to Protect Your Email for Good

After you have solved the immediate problem, you should make your account much harder to hack in the future.

Turn on Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

This is one of the best ways to protect your account. It acts like a second lock. Even if someone steals your password, they will also need your phone or another device to log in.

Use a Passkey

This is a newer way to log in without a password. It uses your phone or computer’s security, like your fingerprint or face ID, to prove it is you. Passkeys are very secure against common hacking methods.

Keep Your Recovery Information Updated

Make sure your backup email address and phone number are correct. This information is vital if you ever get locked out of your account again.

The German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) and the Police Crime Prevention Unit (ProPK) created an official checklist to help people in this situation. Taking these steps can protect your information and give you peace of mind.