Your account was hacked. Here is a clear step-by-step plan to take back control, stop the damage, and secure every other account that could be at risk — starting right now.
Why This Matters
When an account is compromised, scammers use it immediately to access linked accounts, contact your friends and family pretending to be you, or harvest personal and financial data. Speed is critical — every minute of delay allows more damage.
Step-by-Step Guide
- 1Immediately try to log in and change your password — do this before the scammer locks you out.
- 2If locked out, use the official account recovery process — Google's Find My Account, Instagram's Support, or WhatsApp's phone number verification.
- 3Once back in, check and remove all unfamiliar devices under Active Sessions or Devices in your account settings.
- 4Change the recovery email and phone number if they were altered by the scammer.
- 5Enable 2FA immediately to prevent re-entry.
- 6Check Sent messages, Posts, and Transaction history for anything the scammer did while in your account.
- 7Alert your contacts — the scammer may have messaged them pretending to be you asking for money.
- 8For banking accounts, call your bank immediately and request an account freeze if any transactions occurred.
- 9Change passwords on all accounts that use the same password as the compromised one.
- 10File a complaint at cybercrime.gov.in and keep all evidence including screenshots.
✅ Quick Tips to Remember
- Act within the first hour — recovery success drops dramatically after 24 hours
- Keep a printed record of account recovery contacts for your main accounts
- Your email account recovery is most critical — it unlocks everything else
- Tell your contacts immediately so they do not fall for scams in your name
- File a police complaint — it creates an official record useful for bank disputes
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Waiting too long before attempting recovery. Not checking for linked accounts that may also be compromised. Forgetting to warn friends and family who may be targeted. Not changing passwords on other accounts that shared the same password.
⚠ Warning Signs You Are Already at Risk
- Friends tell you they received suspicious messages from your account
- You see login notifications from unknown locations
- Posts or messages appear that you did not send
- Your linked email or phone number was changed