Accounts And Identity
Account takeover
When someone gains access to an account that is not theirs.
What it means
Account takeover can happen after stolen passwords, fake login pages, shared codes, malware, or reset-link scams.
Example
A social account starts sending messages to friends after someone shared a login code.
Warning signs
- You see login alerts you did not start.
- Your password or recovery email changes.
- Friends receive strange messages from your account.
Safer next steps
- Change the password from the official site.
- Sign out of unknown sessions.
- Turn on stronger multi-factor authentication.