How do I know if my account was hacked?

You may have been hacked if you see logins from unfamiliar locations, password reset emails you did not request, posts or messages you did not send, or changes to account settings you did not make.

The first step is to check whether the problem is real and current. Look at your account activity, log out of other sessions if the platform allows it, and change the password from a device you trust.

Then turn on two-factor authentication and review recovery email addresses, phone numbers, and connected apps. Hackers often stay in an account by changing the quiet settings that most people never look at.

If you use the account for money, work, or email, it is worth checking for forwarded messages, linked devices, and recent changes to security settings right away. Those hidden changes can matter more than the obvious ones.

So the short answer is to look for unfamiliar activity, secure the password, and lock down the recovery settings before the attacker has another chance to move around.

If the account is tied to money or work, treat it as a priority incident. Change the password from a trusted device, log out of all other sessions, and check whether the attacker added a forwarding address, backup email, or new device. Those hidden changes can keep an intruder connected even after the obvious password problem is fixed.

It is also worth checking whether the compromise spread to other accounts through reused passwords. If one login was stolen, that can be enough for an attacker to test the same password on email, shopping, or social accounts. A bad login on one service is often the first clue that the rest of your setup needs a cleanup too.