What to do if your email gets hacked (and how to prevent it)
Having your email account hacked can be violating and panic-inducing. Here's what to do when it happens, and what you can do to prevent future attacks.
Sharon Profis Vice President of Content, CNET Studios
As the Vice President of CNET Studios, Sharon leads the video, social, editorial design, and branded content teams. Before this role, Sharon led content development and launched new verticals for CNET, including Wellness, Money, and How To. A tech expert herself, she's reviewed and covered countless products, hosted hundreds of videos, and appeared on shows like Good Morning America, CBS Mornings, and the Today Show. An industry expert, Sharon is a recurring Best of Beauty Awards judge for Allure.
Sharon is an avid chef and hosts the cooking segment 'Farm to Fork' on PBS nationwide. She's developed and published hundreds of recipes.
Credentials
- Webby Award ("How To, Explainer, and DIY Video"); Folio Changemaker Award, 2020
You usually don't know your email has been hacked until a friend lets you know, by which point you've already emailed dozens of friends, family members, and co-workers a link to a "really cool video" that they "have to see now!"
It's embarrassing. It's awkward. You'll ask, "Why me?"
If you're ever unlucky enough to be caught in this pickle, follow this guide. The hope is that if you follow every step, you'll never have to send another "Sorry everyone, my account was hacked" email again. Here's how to deal with a hacked email account and make sure it never happens again.
