“I Got Hacked”: A Step-by-Step Recovery Guide for Everyday People

Picture this: you grab your phone for a quick email check over breakfast. Among the usual bills and newsletters sits a message you never wrote. It’s to your boss, claiming you’re off sick today, with a dodgy attachment. Your heart sinks. You’ve been hacked. This nightmare hits ordinary folks like you and me, not just tech whizzes or big firms. In 2026, with more of us glued to apps and online banking, hackers target easy wins: weak passwords or sneaky phishing links.

Don’t panic yet. Most people bounce back fully within weeks if they act sharp. This guide walks you through hacked account recovery from start to finish. We’ll cover email, social media, banks, and devices with simple steps based on the freshest UK advice from January 2026. Speed matters; quick moves cut the damage and stop thieves spreading your details. Think of it as grabbing a fire extinguisher before flames spread. You’ll spot signs, boot out intruders, clean the wreckage, and lock your doors tight. No tech degree needed, just follow along like we’re chatting over tea.

Spot the Telltale Signs Your Accounts Are Compromised

You spot clues like red flags on a quiet street. Recent stats show over 2 million UK cyber incidents yearly, many starting with overlooked hints. Emails you did not send top the list, followed by weird login alerts or mystery charges. These matter because hackers lurk, reading your private chats or plotting bigger scams. Catch them early, and you stay ahead.

A fast self-check beats worry. Open your key accounts: email, Facebook, banking app. Scan sent items, recent activity, and notifications. Odd patterns scream trouble. Have you noticed logins from strange places, like Russia when you’re in London?

• Unexpected emails or posts: Messages to contacts begging cash or sharing links.
• New logins or devices: Alerts for unknown phones or computers.
• Password reset notices: Ones you never asked for.
• Funny money moves: Small test charges or transfers.
• Profile tweaks: Photos changed or bios rewritten.

Paint the scene: your inbox glows with “sent” mails to family, claiming emergencies. Forwarding rules hide new ones. That’s classic hacker work. Act now to trace the breach.

Strange Emails and Messages You Never Wrote

Hackers love email first; it’s the key to everything else. Check your sent folder for pleas for money or dodgy links to mates. Forwarding rules might pipe copies elsewhere. Deleted items often vanish, but hackers read your drafts too.

Dive into settings. Gmail shows recent activity; Outlook lists forwards. Spot one odd entry, and freeze. This stops them spying on bills or passwords. For details, see the NCSC’s hacked account recovery steps.

Unexpected Changes on Social Media or Banking

Social feeds show rants you never typed or new “friends” from abroad. Banking apps flag logins from new devices or tiny test payments. Watch for phone number swaps, letting hackers grab reset codes.

Review logs pronto. Facebook’s “Where You’re Logged In” lists spots; banks show transaction histories. One rogue entry means deeper checks. These tweaks expose personal data fast.

Lock Out the Intruder: Your First Urgent Steps

Time to fight back. Grab a trusted device, maybe a mate’s clean laptop. Your first job: scan for bugs, then slam doors shut. Change passwords to long strings, mix letters, numbers, symbols. Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) everywhere, starting with email. Log out all sessions first. This sequence starves hackers of access.

Follow these numbered steps in order. Each builds on the last, like boarding up windows in a storm.

1. Disconnect from the web on your suspect device.
2. Run antivirus scans (more below).
3. From a safe machine, visit each account.
4. Sign out everywhere, revoke app access.
5. Reset passwords, one by one.
6. Turn on 2FA with an app like Google Authenticator.

Email leads: Gmail or Outlook first, as they unlock others. Social next: Facebook, Instagram. Banks last; call them too. Feel the power return as you reclaim control.

Run a Full Device Scan Before Touching Passwords

Skip this, and changes fail from an infected machine. Download trusted tools like Malwarebytes or Windows Defender. Run full scans; delete every threat found. Restart in safe mode if needed.

Ransomware lurks, locking files for ransom. UK reports rose 20% in 2025. Clean devices matter most. Pros charge £100-200 if scans overwhelm, but DIY works for most.

Update Passwords and Switch On Two-Factor Protection

Craft 16+ character beasts: “BlueDog2026!RainLondon42”. No repeats across sites. Use a manager like Bitwarden for free storage.

Prioritise: email, Apple/Google, Facebook, banks. Enable 2FA via app, not SMS; texts get hijacked. Banks often need calls for instant freezes. Check Money.co.uk’s seven key steps if hacked for extras.

Clean Up the Mess: Check Damage and Notify Others

Hackers leave trails: stolen photos, sent spam, fake buys. Review activity logs deeply. Note dates, places, actions. Tell platforms via “hacked account” forms: Facebook at facebook.com/hacked. Warn contacts about dodgy mails. Banks reverse fraud under UK rules.

Check credit for identity theft. Freeze reports free via Experian. Recover files from trash or backups. Keep a timeline log; it proves claims.

UK twist: Action Fraud ended December 2025. Use reportfraud.police.uk or call 0300 123 2040 for crime refs. Banks need these. Everyday worries like lost holiday snaps? Backups save them.

• Review email forwards, deleted items.
• Scan bank statements for odd spends.
• Message friends: “Ignore pleas from me.”
• Report to platforms, get confirmation emails.

Deeper scans catch hidden malware. Records build your case.

Alert Your Bank, Friends, and the Right Authorities

Blast a group text: “My account got hacked. Delete any odd mails from me.” Banks have 24/7 fraud lines; call, quote transactions. They freeze cards, probe claims.

Police via reportfraud.police.uk; grab the reference. Victim Support aids reports. For credit hits, statutory reports from Experian spot fakes. Add a password notice to block loans.

Hunt Down and Wipe Out Any Malware

Repeat scans with two tools. Enable auto-updates for OS and apps. If files vanish, pros recover via clean boots. Adware trackers feed hackers data; wipe them.

Build Strong Defences: Never Get Hacked Again

Prevention beats cure. Use unique passwords via managers. 2FA on all. Skip public Wi-Fi for banks; grab a VPN like ExpressVPN for £5/month.

Check breaches at Have I Been Pwned weekly. Delete dusty accounts. Limit app permissions. Routine: update weekly, scan monthly. Peace follows habit, like locking doors nightly.

Conclusion

You spot signs like odd emails, lock out with scans and strong passwords, clean via reports to reportfraud.police.uk and banks, then build walls with 2FA and managers. Quick recovery awaits most who move fast.

Bookmark this, share with mates, check accounts today. Full control returns sooner than you think. For more tech safety at CurratedBrief, stay tuned. You’ve got this.