Obtaining strangers access to your own email account can have serious consequences. This is how users should react when they have been hacked.
Cybercrime damages millions of dollars every year. From 2016 to 2018 alone, according to statistics from the online portal "Statista" in Germany, these totaled more than 184 million euros. Often criminals gain access to their victims' email accounts and use, for example, information obtained there to shop at the expense of the account owner, to extortion and the like. But what to do if your own account has been hacked?
Change password, create image
First of all, users should change the previous password of their mailbox – regardless of the way in which strangers have obtained access to an email account. To do this, users must log in to the website of the respective provider. As a rule, the change function can be found under a menu item such as "Settings". If your own computer is infected with the relevant malware, criminals usually notice this change, but users first take some time to do the following.
If you log in from another device, for example by smartphone or tablet, you can at best avoid any malware. The criminals will then no longer notice what the new password is. If intruders have changed the password and a user no longer has access, the user should first use the common "Forgot password?" Function. If for some reason this is not an alternative or if it does not work, consumers can contact the respective provider.
If damage has already occurred, for example, if goods have been ordered on behalf of the account holder, the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) recommends that a local police department be reported immediately. You should also notify your own bank and relevant providers such as mail order companies immediately. In addition, consumers can contact a specialist lawyer and obtain information.
For a possible preservation of evidence, users can create an image or a backup of their hard disk. For example, the technology magazine "Chip" rates the "Acronis True Image 2020" program as "very good". An examination of the affected computer by specialists is alternatively possible, but this is generally not worthwhile because of the high costs for private users.
Detect malware
With a virus scanner such as "Kaspersky Total Security 2020" or "Bitdefender Total Security", users should then thoroughly check their system for viruses. Cybercriminals often infiltrate malware and thus get the access data for an e-mail inbox. Programs such as those mentioned can be used to detect and neutralize pests.
If a user is certain that their own system is no longer infected, the password for the email inbox should be changed again. It is also important, for example, to check and change the security questions so that hackers cannot reset access via the "Forgot your password?"
In the next step, those affected should change all other important passwords. Criminals could have gained access to additional accounts, for example via the email inbox. In general, users should update their access data and passwords at regular intervals. Many services also offer two-factor authentication. For example, users receive a number combination via an app or SMS, which must be entered in addition to the password when logging in, which promises additional protection.
A short warning: Friends shouldn't be forgotten either. Hackers could have used the hijacked email address, for example, to contact acquaintances of the person concerned and thus possibly gain access to their email account.