Hacked Email: What to Do

Are your friends and family getting emails from you that you didn't send? Or maybe you want to check your email, but you can't log in? Chances are your email's been hacked. Here’s what to do.
******************************
Transcript:
Your friends and family are getting e-mails from you that you didn't send. Or maybe you want to check your e-mail, but wait, you can't login. Sound familiar? Chances are your e-mail's been hacked.

Don't panic. The situation can be fixed. Start by updating or installing security software from a company you can trust. And set it to update automatically.

Hackers often hijack accounts by infecting your computer with malware. So it's important to scan your computer first. Delete anything that identifies as suspicious and restart your computer. Now you're working with a clean slate.

Next, if you can get into your account, change your password. If you use similar passwords for other accounts, change them, too. Passwords are the keys that open your accounts. They have to be memorable for you, but hard for someone else to guess. Some people use software that manages passwords to help create strong passwords and keep track of them.

If you can't get into your account, check with your e-mail provider to find out how to restore it. Once you've got your account back, and check your account settings to make sure no one added any links to your e-mail signature, and that your e-mails aren't being forwarded to someone else.

******************************

The Federal Trade Commission deals with issues that touch the economic life of every American. It is the only federal agency with both consumer protection and competition jurisdiction in broad sectors of the economy. The FTC pursues vigorous and effective law enforcement; advances consumers' interests by sharing its expertise with federal and state legislatures and U.S. and international government agencies; develops policy and research tools through hearings, workshops, and conferences; and creates practical and plain-language educational programs for consumers and businesses in a global marketplace with constantly changing technologies.

Comment Moderation Policy
We welcome your comments and thoughts about the information on this page. If you do have something to say, please be courteous and respectful to other commenters. We won't routinely review or edit any comments before they are posted, but we will delete any comments that:
1) contain spam or are off-topic
2) use vulgar language or offensive terms that target specific groups or contain personal attacks
3) are sales pitches, promotions, urls or links to commercial sites
4) spread clearly misleading or false information
or
5) include personal information, like home addresses

[JunoBerdecia]

Damn hackers are always one step ahead of us, but we can still fight back! Don't be a victim!

[wizardofki]

Even if you delete a virus or malware, you don't necessarily have a clean slate. Viruses can download other viruses. Also, one time I got a virus from a free videogame, and although Norton deleted it, it messed up Windows to the point that I could no longer install Windows updates no matter what I tried. Therefore, I had to reinstall Windows to replace whatever files the virus deleted or corrupted. Some computer security experts say that if you ever get a virus, you can no longer trust that computer and to securely erase your hard drive/SSD before reinstalling Windows again. I guess it depends on the particular remedy that you need and your risk tolerance after being infected.

[dookin]

Thanks for the help, it rely worked, i have my account back now, i just have to w8 1-3 hours for a responce, thank you soo much!

[christinasanchez]

What software do use to make your videos?

[محمدتقینیکصنعت-رك]

سلام ببخشیدماتالان ازاین برنامه هیچ استفادیی نتونستیم بکنیم یعنی هیچ فیلمی راپخش نمیکنه بیش ازده باربه روزرسانی کردم اگرواقعن نمیشه این برنامه راحذف کنیم این همه حرس نخورئم اکبرمحمدی چهل ساله ازتهران

[christopherthomas]

This guy looks like the guy who hacked my email