What to do if an account has been hacked
How to take back an email, social media or shopping account, and stop it happening again.
Signs of a hacked account include password-reset emails you did not request, sign-in alerts from places you have not been, messages sent that you did not write, or being locked out.
Take it back
- Use the service's official recovery page, reached by typing its address yourself. Never use a link from a message.
- Once in, change the password to a new one you have not used anywhere else.
- Sign out all other sessions and devices from the account's security settings.
- Check the recovery email, phone number and any forwarding rules, and remove any you did not add.
- Turn on two-step verification.
Start with your email
If your email account was taken over, secure it first. Whoever controls your email can reset the passwords of most of your other accounts.
Warn people and check for damage
- Tell friends and contacts that messages from the account may not be from you, especially requests for money or codes.
- Check linked payment methods and recent orders, and tell your bank about anything you did not make.
- If the service will not help you recover the account, report it through its official help centre.
See the latest on our security page, updated daily from official sources.