Last week my step-mother's email got hacked. She only noticed that she wasn't receiving her email normally and asked me for help a few days later after she changed her password. By then, the hacker had already redirected her email, emailed all her contacts with requests for "help and send gift cards", and told her contacts of a new email using a different email address in the reply-to part.
I noticed a few days after the original hack, she received a phishing email (attached photo). Unfortunately, she didn't realize it was a phishing email, so she clicked on the link and filled out the form basically giving away her username and new password. I removed all traces of the hack, secured her account, taught her about phishing, and notified the proper channels.
If you or someone you know need some help with securing email or other tech, I'm very happy to help my fellow neighbors and friends (of course for free) because it's something I can contribute to the community....and I dislike bad guys getting away with this kind of activity.
With all the hacks and data breaches going on, it's important to be careful and secure, especially with email and financial logins because the bad guys are after access and money. Use strong passwords and 2-factor authentication whenever possible. Recognize phishing attempts, and don't click on random links.
If you're curious to know if your email may have been compromised, check if you're on the "Have I Been Pwned" website. My step-mother's email was listed on there!
https://haveibeenpwned.com/
Let me know if you have any questions, or PM me!
