Your email account is one of the most important accounts you have.
It is where you receive messages from friends, family, businesses, banks, doctors’ offices, online stores, and many other services. It is also often used to reset passwords for other accounts.
That is why criminals try to break into email accounts. Once they get in, they may read your messages, send fake emails in your name, or try to get into your other online accounts.
Email account takeover makes up 38% of online fraud. But how can you tell if it has happened to you?
Here are five warning signs to look for.
1. Strange Emails You Did Not Send
One of the first signs may be unusual email activity.
You may start getting replies from people you know asking about messages you do not remember sending. You may also receive replies from people you do not know.
Another warning sign is finding emails in your Sent folder or Deleted Items folder that you do not recognize.
This can mean someone else has been using your email account.
2. A New or Changed Email Signature
Your email signature is the information that appears at the bottom of your email messages. It may include your name, phone number, business name, or other contact details.
If you notice a strange new signature, or if your regular signature has been changed, that is a warning sign.
For example, your phone number may be different, or the signature may include odd wording or links you did not add.
3. Changes to Your Profile or Security Settings
Your email account has profile and security settings. These may include your phone number, recovery email address, password settings, and sign-in options.
A criminal may change these settings so they can keep access to your account.
Watch for changes such as:
- A phone number you do not recognize
- A new recovery email address
- A new sign-in or authentication method
Authentication simply means the way your account checks that you are really you. For example, it may send a code to your phone before letting you sign in.
If those settings change and you did not make the change, take it seriously.
4. New Auto-Forwarding Rules
Auto-forwarding is a setting that sends your email messages to another email address automatically.
This can be helpful when you set it up yourself. But it is dangerous if someone else adds a forwarding rule without your knowledge.
For example, an attacker might create a rule that sends every email containing the word “invoice” to a strange outside email address. They might also create a rule that sends certain messages straight to the trash.
Criminals do this so they can read your messages, change them, and sometimes place a fake or edited version back into your inbox as if it were new.
5. Password Reset Emails You Did Not Request
A serious warning sign is receiving password reset emails that you did not ask for.
These may come from social media sites, cloud storage services, shopping websites, or other online tools.
This may mean the attacker is trying to use your email account to get into your other accounts.
For example, they may click “Forgot Password” on another website and try to use your email to reset that account’s password.
What To Do If You Notice These Signs
If you see any of these warning signs, act right away.
Do not ignore strange email activity. Do not assume it is just a mistake.
Contact us immediately so we can help you check the account, protect your information, and stop further damage.
The sooner you respond, the better chance you have of protecting your email and your other online accounts.
