If an account was hacked, contact the provider through its official app or a web address you enter yourself, then recover access and remove any routes the intruder may still be using. A cybercrime report documents what happened; it does not change your password, end other sessions, or block fraudulent transactions. If money moved, contact the financial institution immediately using a number verified from your card or its official materials.
Start with the account and the safest contact route
Do not follow an unexpected security link or call a number supplied by an unsolicited caller or message. Open the service’s official app, use a bookmark you trust, or type its known address. Recovery procedures vary by provider, so follow that service’s official account-recovery instructions.
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For a financial account, call the institution using contact details independently verified from your card or official materials. The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) advises contacting a financial institution promptly after recognizing account takeover or a fraudulent transfer. IC3’s account-takeover alert also warns about impostors posing as financial-institution support.
Recover access, then replace exposed passwords
Use the provider’s recovery process if someone changed your password or locked you out. Once you regain access, set a new, unique password. If you reused that password—or a similar one—change it anywhere else it was used, starting with your primary email, financial accounts, phone-carrier account, payment apps, and services that send password-reset links to the compromised email.
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Email deserves early attention because control of an inbox can let someone reset passwords on other services. The FTC’s guide to recovering a hacked email or social media account explains why protecting email with a strong password and two-factor authentication matters.
Remove access that a password change may leave behind
After you regain entry, look for signs that the attacker can still get in or act as you. Where the service provides the controls, review and correct:
- Other signed-in devices and active sessions; sign out sessions you do not recognize.
- Recovery email addresses and phone numbers.
- Email forwarding rules, filters, sent and deleted messages.
- Recent sign-ins, unfamiliar social messages or contacts, and connected apps or account authorizations.
A password reset does not always revoke an app’s authorization. In its September 1, 2026 alert, the FBI says OAuth consent phishing can give an attacker persistent access until the victim revokes the app’s permission in application security settings. Read the IC3 alert on consent phishing and remove authorizations you do not recognize.
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Turn on multifactor authentication and protect recovery
Enable two-factor authentication (2FA), also called multifactor authentication (MFA), on sensitive accounts. When a service supports them, prefer a security key or authenticator app. The FTC describes security keys as the strongest 2FA method; a text or email code is still preferable to no second factor if that is all the service offers.
Keep recovery details current and store backup codes safely if they are offered. Never disclose a password or one-time passcode (OTP) to someone who contacts you unexpectedly, even if they claim to be your bank or a support team. Verify the organization’s contact details independently before responding.
If the device may be compromised, check it before using it to recover accounts
If you suspect malware or other device compromise, the FTC recommends updating security software, running a scan, deleting identified suspicious software, and restarting before continuing with provider recovery. Use a trusted support route if you need help; do not grant remote access to an unsolicited “support” contact.
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Handle stolen money and identity information as separate problems
If money or a financial account is involved
Report unauthorized charges to the affected company’s fraud department and ask whether the account should be closed or frozen. If a wire transfer was fraudulent, contact the bank immediately and ask it to recall or reverse the transfer; also report it to IC3. Its account-takeover guidance says to contact the financial institution promptly.
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A hacked account is not automatically identity theft: account access can be stolen without someone using your personal information to impersonate you or open accounts. If personal information was misused, use the FTC’s IdentityTheft.gov for a free, personalized recovery plan. The FTC’s identity-theft guidance describes steps such as contacting affected businesses, changing account credentials and PINs, and placing a free one-year fraud alert through one credit bureau. Consider a credit freeze if your identity data could be used to open new accounts.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Keep evidence and record what you do
Save original emails, including full headers; messages; relevant web pages; receipts; transaction records; and available security or system logs. Keep them securely, and avoid continuing to use a device you believe is infected. If an investigator requests forensic preservation, follow those instructions.
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IC3 says it does not accept attachments or collect evidence, so retain originals in case investigators request them. Its FAQ on evidence and reporting lists examples such as canceled checks, receipts, wire or cryptocurrency records, original emails, web pages, hard-drive images, packet captures, and system or security logs. Keep your own record of whom you contacted, when you reported the incident, report numbers, disputed transactions, and access you revoked.
Report through the channel that fits the harm
These channels have different roles: the provider restores and secures its account; the financial institution addresses unauthorized transactions; IdentityTheft.gov provides identity-theft recovery guidance; and IC3 accepts reports of internet crime. For an account takeover complaint, IC3 asks for relevant banking information and recommends using the words “account takeover” in the description. For wire fraud, report to both the bank and IC3.
IC3 reported receiving more than 5,100 complaints of account-takeover fraud since January 2025, with losses exceeding $262 million, in an alert dated November 25, 2025. Those figures describe complaints received by IC3 over that period, not all account takeovers. FTC identity-theft reporting is available in English through IdentityTheft.gov; the FTC’s identity-theft page also lists Spanish reporting and phone interpretation.
Warn people who may have received messages from the account
If the compromised email or social account sent messages, posts, payment requests, or links, contact affected friends, family, or colleagues through another channel. Tell them not to click links, share codes, or send money in response to messages from the compromised account.
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