What are the signs that your account is hacked?

Ugh, have you ever that sinking feeling that something’s just off with your online account? Like, that little twitch of anxiety that makes you double-check everything? Yeah, I know it. It’s the worst. So, how can you tell if you’ve actually been hacked? Well, there are a few telltale signs, you know?

First off, emails. Have you gotten any emails that you definitely didn’t send? Like, weird messages to your grandma about winning a Nigerian lottery? Yeah, big red flag. Or maybe your password’s changed and you didn’t do it. Scary, right? I remember this one time my Facebook password was changed, and I freaked. Luckily, I had two-factor authentication on (seriously, everyone should have that!), so they couldn’t get in.

Another thing to watch for is any weird software installations. Programs you’ve never seen before suddenly popping up? That’s not good. Same goes for those fake antivirus alerts. They’re so annoying! And often a sign something nasty is lurking. They’re designed to trick you, you know? Make you think you need their “help.” Don’t fall for it!

And of course, the absolute worst-case scenario: leaked personal data. I mean, who hasn’t heard horror stories about data breaches these days? It feels like it’s happening constantly. If your private information shows up somewhere it shouldn’t be, like on some shady website or something, well, you’ve probably been hacked.

So, what do you do if any of this happens to you? Don’t panic (easier said than done, I know!). But seriously, act fast! Change your passwords, run a virus scan, contact your bank if necessary… anything you can think of to secure your account and protect your info. Better safe than sorry, right?