A friend recently told me that a friend of her son had the password of his Gmail account stolen and that they were doing dirty tricks, supplanting his identity on the network. Sometimes a hacker doesn’t need to steal your Google account to suffer this type of extortion, and many times you only realize it when it is too late.
My Gmail password has been stolen. What do I do?
The first thing you have to keep in mind is that the Gmail password is the same one that allows you to access all Google services, not just email. You can also use other Google services with that email account and password. You can use third-party apps on Android, access browsing data and user history, enter YouTube and a thousand other stories (such as accessing bank accounts and other really ugly things).
What to Do
If your Gmail account has been stolen and you are being impersonated, but you can still access your Google account, the first thing to do is follow these 5 steps:
- Check the security of the account from the “ Review and security ” section. If you see that you have a section in yellow or red, it means that your account is not secure. Take the suggested actions so that all fields are green.
- Change access password. You can change your Gmail password by going to https://myaccount.google.com/security. In the “Sign in to Google” section, click on “Password” to change the current access password to a new one.
- Access the list of devices that have used your Google account and withdraw access to all devices you do not recognize as yours. Google keeps a log of device activity, which allows you to disconnect any PC or smartphone that has been associated with your Gmail account. To remove access from possible hackers, simply click on “Don’t recognize this device?” and then select “Sign out of the device.”
- Access the registry of apps and websites that have access to your Google account and deny access to all suspicious apps and websites. Simply select the application from the list you will see on the screen and click on “Remove access.”
- Activate 2-step verification to increase account security.
Finally, remember that many password thefts come from viruses installed on your computer. Run a good antivirus to make sure your computer is not compromised.
How to recover a stolen Gmail account with a changed password
The problem in these situations is that the hacker also often changes the account access password. He may have even changed the associated phone number and recovery email account, completely blocking you from accessing it.
However, if you still have the Google account configured as the main account on your mobile device, you can still try to recover the password.
- Access the Google account recovery page .
- Enter the Gmail address and the last active password you remember.
- If the password is not correct and you click on ” Try another way, “Google will send a notification to your Android phone in case you have your Gmail account configured as the main account on the phone.
- If you don’t have the phone at hand and select ” Try another way, “Google will ask you to enter the PIN code to unlock the phone.
Finally, if we click on “Try another way,” Google will send a link to the Gmail account from where you can change the password (if you still have access to the Gmail account). Please note that this link will take 6 hours to arrive.
Can you contact Google to report that your account has been hacked?
Previously, Google offered the possibility of recovering the Gmail password by filling out a questionnaire. But unfortunately, this option is no longer available for a long time because it does not meet the security standards required today.
If you seek technical support from Google, you won’t have much luck either, since today, there is no way to report a stolen account if you don’t have a recovery email or linked phone. The only thing you have at your disposal is the Google Help Center. It only offers the recovery procedures that we explained a moment ago, without the possibility of contacting a real person to explain your problem. If this option exists, at least we have not found it.
Tips to secure your Gmail account
If you have already been a victim of an attack of this type or simply want to protect yourself with a higher level of security, consider the following measures:
- Change the access password for a secure key of at least 9 characters with uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and symbols. You shouldn’t use this same password in any other service or website.
- Turn on 2-Step Verification (if you haven’t already).
- Do not write down the password on paper notes or notebooks, nor leave them in places where everyone can see them (such as on a post-it on the PC screen).
- Work from devices duly protected with antivirus, updated operating system, and regular antimalware checks.
- Avoid pirated software, websites of dubious origin and navigate with common sense.
As always, the weakest link in the security chain is always the user himself, so if you want to avoid falling prey to theft or hack of this type, at least try to make it as difficult as possible for the thief.
