My Email Was Hacked — Hive Security

How Do You Know Your Email Was Hacked?

You don’t always get an obvious warning. Look for these signs:

Friends or family say they received strange emails from you — emails you didn’t send
You’re getting password reset emails for accounts you didn’t touch
Your password suddenly stopped working
The email provider sent a security alert about a login from an unfamiliar location
You found sent emails in your Sent folder that you didn’t write
Contacts, filters, or settings in your account changed without you doing anything
You received a login notification from a device or country you don’t recognise

If you noticed any of these — act immediately. Every minute counts.

Step 1: Can You Still Log In?

Your first step depends on whether you still have access to the account.

If you CAN still log in

Good. Do these things right now, in this order.

1. Change your password immediately

Don’t wait. Go straight to your account’s security settings and change your password before the attacker does.

Your new password must be:

Long — at least 16 characters
Something you’ve never used before
Not based on your name, birthday, or anything personal

If you’re not sure what a strong password looks like, use our password generator — it creates secure passwords your browser generates locally, nothing is sent anywhere.

2. Check your recovery settings

Attackers often change recovery details to lock you out permanently — even if you’ve changed your password.

Go to your account security settings and verify:

The recovery email address is still yours
The recovery phone number is still your phone
Security questions (if any) still have answers only you know

If anything was changed, correct it immediately.

3. Sign out of all other devices

Your email provider lets you see where your account is currently logged in. Sign out everywhere except your current device.

Gmail: myaccount.google.com → Security → Your devices
Outlook: account.microsoft.com → Security → Sign-in activity → Sign out
Yahoo: Account Security → Recent activity

4. Enable two-factor authentication (2FA)

This is the single most effective thing you can do. With 2FA enabled, even if someone has your password, they still can’t get in.

Use an authenticator app (such as Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, or Authy) rather than SMS text messages — text messages can be intercepted.

5. Check for hidden backdoors the attacker may have left

This is where most people stop too early. The attacker may have already set things up so they keep receiving your emails even after you change your password.

Check these in your account settings:

Email forwarding — delete any forwarding address you didn’t add yourself
Filters and rules — delete any email filter that automatically moves, deletes, or forwards messages
Connected apps — remove any app or third-party service you don’t recognise

6. Run a malware scan on your devices

Your password might have been stolen by malware on your computer or phone. If that’s still there, any new password you set can be stolen again.

Use your device’s built-in security tool or a trusted antivirus to run a full scan. If it finds anything, remove it before continuing.

If you CANNOT log in (you’ve been locked out)

The attacker has already changed your password. Here’s how to get your account back.

1. Use the account recovery page — immediately

Every major email provider has an account recovery process. Go there now:

Gmail: accounts.google.com/signin/recovery
Outlook / Hotmail: account.live.com/password/reset
Yahoo: login.yahoo.com/forgot

You’ll be asked to prove your identity. This may include:

A code sent to a backup phone or email
Answering security questions
Confirming recent account activity (when you last logged in, what email you sent)

2. Try from a familiar device or location

Email providers are more likely to approve recovery if you’re using the same device or network you normally use. If possible, try from your home Wi-Fi on your usual phone or computer — not from a café or VPN.

3. Contact the provider’s support directly

If the automated recovery doesn’t work, contact support and explain that your account has been hacked. Be specific — say the attacker changed your recovery information and you need identity verification.

Google: support.google.com
Microsoft: support.microsoft.com
Yahoo: help.yahoo.com

This process can take time. Be patient but persistent.

4. Once you’re back in — follow all the steps above

As soon as you regain access, go through everything in the “If you CAN still log in” section above: change password, check recovery settings, sign out other devices, enable 2FA, check for forwarding rules.

Step 2: Check What Damage Was Done

Once your account is secured, find out what the attacker actually did.

Check your Sent folder Look for emails you didn’t write — the attacker may have contacted your family, friends, or colleagues impersonating you. They may have asked for money, sent links, or shared personal information.

Check your Deleted/Trash folder Attackers often delete evidence. Look for password reset emails from banks, social media sites, or other services — this tells you which other accounts they may have accessed.

Check your Inbox for alerts Look for security notifications from other services — Google, Facebook, your bank — that arrived while you were locked out.

Step 3: Protect Your Other Accounts

Your email is connected to almost everything. If it was compromised, those accounts are at risk too.

Contact your bank immediately

Call your bank’s customer service number (on the back of your card or their official website). Tell them your email was hacked and ask them to:

Check for any recent suspicious activity
Add a note to your account
Send alerts for any new transactions

Do not wait for suspicious transactions to appear — call now.

Change passwords on important accounts

Any account where your email address is used to log in or reset the password is potentially compromised. Start with the most important:

Online banking and payment services (PayPal, Revolut, etc.)
Social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn)
Work accounts and services
Shopping accounts with saved payment details (Amazon, etc.)

Use our password generator to create a different strong password for each one. Never use the same password in two places.

Check your social media accounts

Step 4: Tell Your Contacts

Send a message to your contacts — by text, phone, or social media — warning them that your email was hacked.

Tell them:

Ignore any unusual emails from your address
Don’t click any links in emails from you from the past few days
Don’t send money or personal information to anyone claiming to be you by email

What NOT to Do

Don’t reuse your old password anywhere, ever again
Don’t ignore it and hope it resolves itself — it won’t
Don’t log in from a device you don’t trust — a shared or public computer could steal your new password too
Don’t click links in emails you received during the incident — the attacker may have sent themselves phishing links through your inbox
Don’t tell the attacker you know — if you’re being blackmailed or extorted, see below before responding

When to Contact Authorities

Contact the police immediately if:

Someone is blackmailing or extorting you — threatening to publish your photos, expose your information, or harm you unless you pay
Money has been taken from your bank account
Someone is threatening you — by email, message, or any other channel
Your identity has been used — loans, accounts, or contracts opened in your name

This is not optional. These are crimes. File a report with your local police — even if you don’t think they can help, the report creates an official record that may be needed later (for your bank, insurance, or employer).

Search for your national cybercrime reporting centre — most countries have one.

Contact your employer’s IT or security team immediately if:

This was a work email account
You received any work-related emails during the period the attacker had access
The attacker may have seen confidential documents, client data, or internal communications

Prevention Checklist

Use this to make sure it doesn’t happen again: