Someone has got into my account
Do these things in this order. The first one matters most.
1. Change the password on the email account first
Not the account you think was stolen — your email. Whoever controls your email can reset the password on everything else. If your email is safe, you can take the rest back. If it is not, you cannot.
2. Sign out everywhere
Most services have a button that ends every session except the one you are using. It is usually under Security or Devices. Changing the password alone does not always throw the other person out.
3. Turn on the second step
If you had not already, turn on two-factor authentication now, while you have control. It is the single change that stops this happening again.
4. Check what was left behind
People who take an account often leave a way back in:
- A forwarding rule that quietly copies your mail to them
- A recovery phone number or address you do not recognise
- An app or device still connected
Look under Settings, then Forwarding, Recovery, and Connected apps. Remove anything you did not add.
5. Tell the people who would be fooled
If the account sends messages — email, WhatsApp, Instagram — tell your contacts before someone asks them for money in your name. That is what most stolen accounts are used for.
If it is a bank or a payment account, telephone the bank directly using the number on your card. Do not use a number from a message you received.