8 Signs That Your Google Account Has Been Hacked.

Hackers now try to get into almost every kind of account. This includes obvious things like your bank accounts, but also things like your social media and email accounts that might seem less important. All of them have value because they can be sold again on the dark web.

Google accounts have useful security features, but because the service is so popular, hackers are also interested in them.Since Gmail is part of Google, hackers who take over it often try to hide what they are doing from the user.

Here’s what to look for if you think your Google account has been hacked.

1. Your Password Has Been Changed

If someone else changed your password, and you didn’t do it yourself, it’s clear that your account has been hacked. Hackers change account passwords so that the account owner can’t log them off.

But just because your password hasn’t changed doesn’t mean your account hasn’t been broken into. Hackers usually don’t change the password because that lets them use the account without the owner knowing.

2. You Receive Security Alerts From Google.

Google will often send you a security alert if your account has been hacked or if someone tries to hack it. Google can tell when someone is trying to hack your account because they usually try to get in from a different device and IP address.

It’s important to remember that people who are attacked don’t always get security alerts. It’s also possible that a security alert will be sent, but the person who has control of the victim’s account will delete it right away.

3. Somebody Else Has Logged Into Your Account.

When someone logs into your account, their device and IP address are kept track of. If you open Gmail, scroll to the bottom of the page, look for “Last account activity,” and click “Details,” you can see a list of successful logins.

No matter if Google sends you a security alert or not, you should check this page every so often. Hackers can hide their tracks in a lot of ways, but they shouldn’t be able to hide what they do when they log in.

4. Your Security Settings Have Been Changed.

If someone gets into your account, they might try to change the way your security works. If they change your account’s recovery email, they can use it to get back in if you change your password. For the same reason, they may also change your security questions.

Google will send you an alert if you change your security settings, but it’s important to know that a hacker can just delete this alert before you see it.

5. Your Outbox Has Emails That You Didn’t Send.

Email accounts are often broken into so that emails can be sent. If someone gets into your email account, they can use it to send spam to thousands of people. If this happens, Google might shut down your account because they think you did this.

A hacked email account could also be used to pretend to be the account owner. This would let the hacker get in touch with people the victim knows and ask them for information or money.

6. Your Inbox Has Emails About Changing Your Password.

If someone gets into your Gmail account, they might try to get into any of the other accounts that are linked to it. Depending on how you use Gmail, this could include your bank and social media accounts.

This is easy to do. Check to see what accounts you have, then go to each platform and ask for a password change. If you get any of these emails, it’s proof that your account has been hacked and that the hacker is trying to take even more control.

7. Other Services Have Been Hacked.

If your bank or social media accounts look like they’ve been hacked, it could be because of your Gmail account. You might find that your bank account has been charged without your permission or that your social media accounts are being used in strange ways.

Even though there are a lot of ways to get into these accounts, the email address should always be double-checked.

8. Your Contacts Receive Emails from You.

Hackers often pretend to be the victim by using an email account that they have stolen. They might ask people on your list of contacts for money. Depending on who is in your contact list, they may also try to get information about them that can be used for phishing.

Even though the hacker can delete the emails they send, they might not be able to delete the replies they get. If you find emails in your inbox that talk about conversations you never had, this is a strong sign that you’ve been hacked.

What Should You Do if Your Google Account Has Been Hacked?

How you fix a Google account that has been hacked depends on whether or not the password has been changed.

If you can still log in to your Google account, you can take control of it again by changing your password and turning on two-factor authentication. You should also carefully check your security settings to make sure the hacker didn’t change anything that would let them get in later.

If you can’t log in to your Google account, it is harder to get back in, but it is still possible. You can try to change your password if the recovery option hasn’t been changed. Or, if the recovery option doesn’t work, you’ll have to contact Google and prove that you own the account.

Google Accounts Are Popular With Hackers

Hackers like to go after Google accounts because almost everyone has one. If someone hacks into Gmail, they can send spam, pretend to be someone else, and get into any other accounts that are connected to it.

If you think someone has broken into your Google account, you should change your password right away and turn on two-factor authentication. As long as you can still get into your account, it’s not hard to kick a hacker off.