Account Recovery Guide
Think one of your online accounts has been hacked? Act immediately. The sooner you secure your accounts, the better your chances of preventing further damage.
🚨 First Things First
If you can still access your account:
✅ Change your password immediately.
Choose a password that is:
- At least 12–16 characters long
- Unique (don’t reuse passwords)
- A combination of letters, numbers, and symbols
Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
Turn on two-factor authentication using:
- An authenticator app
- Security key (if available)
Avoid relying solely on SMS-based verification where possible.
Sign Out of All Other Devices
Most major platforms allow you to log out of all active sessions.
This immediately removes unauthorized users from your account.
Review Security Settings
Check and remove:
- Unknown phone numbers
- Unknown email addresses
- Recovery contacts you don’t recognize
- Third-party apps with unnecessary access
- Unknown devices or active login sessions
📱 WhatsApp Recovery
If someone has taken over your WhatsApp account:
Step 1
Re-register your phone number on WhatsApp.
Step 2
Enter the SMS verification code sent to your number.
Step 3
If two-step verification (PIN) is enabled and you do not know it, follow WhatsApp’s recovery process.
Step 4
Inform your contacts that your account may have been compromised.
Step 5
If you suspect your SIM card has been fraudulently transferred, contact your mobile service provider immediately.
📧 Email Account Recovery
Your email account is often the “master key” to your other online accounts.
Immediately:
✅ Change your password.
✅ Check whether your recovery email and phone number have been changed.
✅ Review recent login activity.
✅ Remove unauthorized devices.
✅ Check email forwarding rules.
Scammers often create hidden forwarding rules to receive copies of your emails.
Delete any forwarding rules or filters you did not create.
📸 Instagram Recovery
If your Instagram account is hacked:
- Try logging in using your registered email or phone number.
- Use Instagram’s account recovery options if you cannot log in.
- Check whether your email address or phone number has been changed.
- Remove unauthorized linked accounts.
- Enable two-factor authentication after regaining access.
👍 Facebook Recovery
If someone has accessed your Facebook account:
- Reset your password immediately.
- Review active login sessions.
- Remove unfamiliar devices.
- Check connected apps.
- Enable two-factor authentication.
If you cannot access the account, use Facebook’s recovery process to report that it has been compromised.
✉️ Gmail, Outlook, and Other Email Providers
After recovering your account:
- Review recent security alerts.
- Check account recovery information.
- Remove unfamiliar devices.
- Revoke access for unknown applications.
- Review mailbox rules and forwarding settings.
- Enable two-factor authentication.
💳 Banking and UPI Apps
If you suspect unauthorized access:
Immediately
- Contact your bank.
- Block internet banking if necessary.
- Block or temporarily freeze affected debit/credit cards.
- Reset your internet banking password.
- Change your UPI PIN.
- Review recent transactions.
If money has been transferred without your authorization:
📞 Call 1930 immediately and report the fraud through the official cybercrime portal:
National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal
💻 If You Installed a Suspicious App
Examples include:
- Remote access software
- Unknown APK files
- Fake KYC apps
- Screen-sharing applications
Do this immediately:
✅ Disconnect from the internet.
✅ Uninstall the suspicious application.
✅ Scan your device using trusted security software.
✅ Change passwords from a different, trusted device.
Avoid logging into sensitive accounts from the potentially compromised device until it has been checked and secured.
🛡️ Secure All Connected Accounts
Many services are linked together.
If one account is compromised, attackers may try to access others.
Update passwords for:
- Banking
- Social media
- Cloud storage
- Shopping websites
- Digital wallets
- Government portals
Use a unique password for each account.
📂 Preserve Evidence
Before deleting anything, save:
- Screenshots
- Emails
- Chat messages
- Transaction receipts
- Login alerts
- Fraudulent phone numbers
- Website links
- App names
This information can assist banks and law enforcement during investigations.
🚫 Avoid Recovery Scams
Be cautious of anyone who claims they can recover your account or money in exchange for a fee.
Never:
- Share OTPs or verification codes.
- Share passwords or two-factor authentication codes.
- Pay “recovery agents” promising guaranteed results.
- Install software at the request of unknown callers or online contacts.
📞 Need Further Help?
Seek assistance if:
- You have lost access to multiple accounts.
- Your identity has been misused.
- Unauthorized financial transactions have occurred.
- Sensitive personal information has been exposed.
- You are unsure whether your device or accounts are fully secure.
Prompt action can significantly reduce further harm and improve the chances of successful recovery.