// TAKE BACK CONTROL
I think I’ve been hacked — how to take back control
First: don’t panic. Most account hacks can be undone if you act quickly and in the right order. Here’s exactly what to do, starting with the account that matters most.
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Skip the DIY — call 01202 775566 and we can be looking at your screen within minutes. You watch everything we do, and most problems on this page are fixed in one short remote session. (Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm.)
// SIGNS IT’S REALLY A HACK
What being hacked looks like
Your password stopped working
You’re suddenly locked out of an account you didn’t change.
Messages you didn’t send
Friends mention emails or posts ‘from you’ that you never sent.
Logins from strange places
Alerts about sign-ins from places or devices you don’t recognise.
Security turned off
Your antivirus or settings have been disabled without you doing it.
Ransom or threat pop-ups
A message demands payment or claims to have ‘locked’ your files.
New accounts or rules
Unfamiliar email forwarding rules, or accounts opened in your name.
// DO THESE IN ORDER
Take back control, step by step
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01
Secure your email first
Your email is the master key — resets for everything else go there. Reset its password from a clean device, turn on 2FA, and check for sneaky forwarding rules or a changed recovery address.
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02
Reset other key passwords
Change passwords on your bank, Microsoft/Google and social accounts — especially anything that shared the old password. Use a strong, unique one for each.
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03
Sign out everywhere
In each account’s security settings, look for ‘where you’re signed in’ and remove any device you don’t recognise.
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04
Scan the device
Run a full antivirus scan to remove anything left behind. We can do this for you on a secure session.
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05
Tell people & report it
Warn your contacts not to act on messages ‘from you’, and report it to Report Fraud (formerly Action Fraud) (0300 123 2040) and the platform.
Official recovery pages
Go straight to the source for the account that’s affected:
- Microsoft: account.microsoft.com/security
- Google: myaccount.google.com/security
- Apple Account: Apple Account security
- Facebook / Instagram: facebook.com/hacked
- National Cyber Security Centre: Recovering a hacked account
Check if your details have leaked
You can check whether your email has appeared in a known data breach at haveibeenpwned.com — it’s free and trusted. If it has, change that password (and anywhere you reused it) straight away.
Lock it down for good
- Use a unique password for every important account — a password manager makes this easy.
- Turn on two-factor authentication everywhere it’s offered.
- Keep your devices and apps updated.
// CHECK WHO CAN GET IN
Is anyone still connected?
If someone was given remote access, or you’re not sure, check whether anyone can still get in.
FREE · WINDOWS 10 & 11 · NO SIGN-UP
Is anyone still connected to your PC?
Our free app’s Remote access page says for certain whether a Remote Desktop, Quick Assist or Splashtop session is open right now, lists the remote-control programs on the PC and which are running, and reads AnyDesk’s and TeamViewer’s own lists of who has connected. It changes nothing unless you press a button.
In the app: Safety, then Remote access.
Download 365 PC Manager free ↓What else it checks
Made by us, a family IT firm in Bournemouth since 1995, and digitally signed by 365 Techies Ltd.
// GOOD QUESTIONS
Frequently asked
They changed my recovery email — am I locked out forever?
Not necessarily. Each provider has an account-recovery process for exactly this (see the official links above). It can take patience, but it’s often recoverable — and we can help you work through it.
Do I need a brand-new email address?
Usually not. Once you’ve regained control, secured it with 2FA and removed any forwarding rules, your existing address is normally fine to keep.
How did they get in?
Most often a reused or leaked password, or a convincing phishing message. That’s why unique passwords and 2FA matter so much — see our cybersecurity help.
Can you do this for me remotely?
Yes — we’ll secure your accounts and check your device on a safe remote session. We always phone first and you watch everything on screen.
Let’s get you back in control
A friendly techie can secure your accounts and check your device with you — calmly and securely.
01202 775566 · help@365techies.co.uk · MON–FRI 9AM–5PM