What to Do When Your Account Is Hacked

Realising an account's been hacked is a gut-punch, but panic wastes the time that matters. Work the checklist in order — it's designed to lock the attacker out and limit the damage.

Do these in order

1. Secure your email first — it controls password resets for everything else.
2. Change the password on the hacked account and anywhere you reused it.
3. Turn on two-factor authentication.
4. Check for changes the attacker made — recovery email, forwarding rules, connected apps.
5. Log out all other sessions if the platform allows it.

Contain the spread

• Warn contacts if the account may message them with scams.
• If money's involved, contact your bank and freeze cards.
• Watch for follow-up phishing that uses stolen details.