What to Do First If You Think You’ve Been Hacked

WHAT TO DO IF YOU GET HACKED
Beginner Recovery Checklist from VeriSecure.tech

FIRST MOVE:
Do not keep clicking, replying, or guessing. Take screenshots. If bank, card, or payment info is involved, contact your bank or card provider first.

1. Protect proof and use official recovery
[ ] Screenshot suspicious logins, messages, charges, unknown devices, and account changes.
[ ] If you are locked out, use the official recovery page or backup codes only.
[ ] Do not pay “account recovery” helpers in ads, comments, texts, or DMs.

2. Lock down account access
[ ] Change your email password first. Password resets usually go there.
[ ] Then change banking, payment, social, shopping, and reused passwords.
[ ] Sign out of all devices or sessions you do not recognize.

3. Turn on extra protection
[ ] Turn on MFA/2FA for email, banks, social media, shopping, and cloud accounts.
[ ] Use an authenticator app when offered. Text codes are still better than none.
[ ] Check recovery email/phone, connected apps, devices, filters, and forwarding rules.

4. Check money and identity
[ ] Review bank, card, payment app, and shopping activity for anything unfamiliar.
[ ] Dispute unauthorized charges and remove saved cards from compromised accounts.
[ ] Freeze credit at Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion if SSN, ID, or tax info was exposed.

5. Clean devices and warn people
[ ] Run a security scan on your phone and computer.
[ ] Update your phone, computer, browser, apps, and operating system.
[ ] Warn contacts not to click odd messages or links sent from your account.

6. Report and recover
[ ] Report fraud at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
[ ] File a cybercrime report at IC3.gov.
[ ] Use IdentityTheft.gov if identity information was exposed.
[ ] Report the compromised account directly to the official platform.

IF YOU ALREADY CLICKED, SHARED, PAID, OR REPLIED:
Stop replying. Save proof. Change passwords from a safe device. Call your bank if money or card info was involved. Use official recovery and reporting pages only.

VeriSecure.tech