Emails that phish for your email credentials on the rise: What you need to do to stay safe

In the past month we’ve received an unusually high number of calls from clients that have had their email accounts hacked. The hackers have accessed their email password either by simply asking for it via a phishing email, or hacking into other insecure web site databases then trying to use the same password to access their email account. After accessing their email account the hackers have done many of the following steps:

• Changed their password and account security questions to permanently lock them out of their email account

• Sent emails to their contacts saying that they are traveling in a foreign country and are in desperate need of money

• Deleted all of their saved email

• Deleted everybody from their contacts/address book

• Changed their email options so that all email forwards to the hackers email address, and all replies are sent to the hacker

• Made a copy of their address book and are continually sending out spam email to their contacts that looks like they are originating from the person whose email account was hacked

Many web sites (including financial institutions) have an option to reset your password by sending an email to your address-on-file. If a hacker has access to your email, they can easily receive the email, reset and change your banking or other password and steal money or purchase merchandise under your name.

Below is what you need to do now to help prevent your email account from being hacked in just 3 easy steps…

• See how to recognize emails that “phish” for your private information

• How to help prevent your internet accounts from being hacked

• Create a secure and memorable password system

Sadly, the clients that called for after-the-fact help could have prevented their email accounts from being hacked in the first place by taking a few minutes each month to read our monthly newsletter. Information about hacking and steps to avoid it has been mentioned in it each month for years.