Oct 22, 2022
What Happens When a Scammer
Has Your Email Address?
Prevention - Signs You're Hacked - Recovery
While your email address might not seem that valuable, scammers can extract a lot of information that they can use against you. Below are some things they can do with your email address information:
- Scammers Can Impersonate You
- Send Phishing Emails
- Scammers Can Access Your Online Accounts
How to Protect Your Email Address from Scammers?
- Using Robust Passwords
- Set Up Multi-Factor Authentication
- Update Your Device’s Security Software
- Enable Dark Web Monitoring
Signs Your Email Account Has Been Hacked
- You can’t log in to your account
- Strange messages pop up on your social media accounts
- Your family members or friends are receiving emails you didn’t send
- Your sent-message folder contains spammy messages you don’t remember writing
How to Help Recover Your Email Account from a Scammer
- If you can still access your account, change your login credentials immediately
- Inform your friends and family members about the hack so they don’t fall for the scams sent by the hackers
- Contact your banks and credit providers if you have sensitive financial information in your inbox. They can help prevent unauthorized access to your account.
- Seek the help of an identity and credit monitoring service like IdentityIQ to help protect you. This service can provide real-time fraud and Social Security number alerts, the dark web and internet monitoring, and even identity theft insurance. Plus, protection plans are affordable.
- If you’re completely locked out of your account, contact your email provider for advice on how to recover and protect your account.