My Account was Hacked, Now What?
You got an email saying your purchase of Norton Antivirus has been completed. But you didn’t purchase Norton Antivirus, so you called the support line from the email, and they helped you remove the charge.
Days later, you noticed hundreds of dollars missing from your bank account.
Turns out the Norton support technician was a hacker who sent you a phishing email to steal your bank information.
You’ve been compromised, now what?
If you received the message through your work email address, you should notify your IT team or managed service provider (MSP) immediately.
Once you do that, there are further steps you should take outside the MSP’s or IT team’s responsibilities that will protect your accounts and might get your money back if you act quickly enough.
1.) Freeze Your Credit
The first thing you want to do is freeze your credit, which will help protect your credit file if the scammers try to apply for credit in your name.
Click the links below to freeze your reports at the three major credit bureaus:
Just be aware that freezing your credit also will prohibit creditors from accessing your credit if, for instance, you want to apply for a credit card or loan. Make sure to unfreeze it when you want to fill out legitimate credit applications.
2.) Contact Your Bank
If you contact your bank’s fraud hotline quickly enough (usually within 24-48 hours) after the compromise, there’s a chance they can cancel the transaction and get your money back.
Of course, there is no guarantee, which is why phishing attacks are so effective.
Once you have notified your bank, they can block suspicious activity and even freeze your account if necessary, limiting any additional damage the attacker can do.
Scams are getting more advanced and harder to detect. If you do find your accounts have been compromised, take a deep breath and remember to report the issue as quickly as possible.
3.) Change Account Passwords
Next, you’ll want to change passwords on any accounts that were affected, such as work accounts, bank accounts, etc.
Even if you didn’t explicitly give your username and password, it’s best practice to use a new password going forward.
Make sure you use a strong password (preferably 15 characters or longer)and use passphrases that are easy to remember but hard for hackers to guess.
Don’t add the year or your birthday to the end of your old password. That can be easily guessed by a hacker and doesn’t improve your account security.
4.) Report the Scam
Lastly, you’ll want to report the scam to several different outlets.
Give them as much information as possible, including what was stolen, how much of it was stolen, how it was stolen, phone numbers or email addresses you corresponded with, emails you received, etc.)
- Local Law Enforcement: Report scams to your local police department or sheriff’s office, especially if you lost money or property or had your identity compromised.
- Federal Trade Commission: Contact the Federal Trade Commission at 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357) or use the Online Complaint Assistant to report various types of fraud, including counterfeit checks, lottery or sweepstakes scams, and more.
- Identitytheft.gov: If someone is using your personal information to open new accounts, make purchases or get a tax refund, report it at identitytheft.gov.
- Division of Consumer Affairs: Scam complaints can be reported to your state’s consumer protection agency.
- Better Business Bureau (BBB): Reporting to the BBB Scam Tracker can help others become aware of scams that may be circulating in your local area.
Learn to Spot Phishing Scams
Scams are getting more advanced and harder to detect.
If you do find your accounts have been compromised, take a deep breath and remember to report the issue as quickly as possible.
Our cybersecurity training will help you learn how to spot these kinds of scams and how to protect your organization. Contact us before you become a victim.
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