How to Check If Your Email Was Hacked

How to Check If Your Email Was Hacked

In this digital age, our email addresses are valuable assets. They hold a lot of personal and business information, representing a potential goldmine to cybercriminals.

A compromise of your email can lead to identity theft, financial loss, and numerous other problems. That’s why knowing how to check if your email was hacked is so critical. In this tutorial, we'll illustrate how to do this in detail.

Signs Your Email May Have Been Hacked

The first step in knowing if your email was hacked is knowing what to look out for. Here are some of the key signs:

  • Unexpected password changes.

  • Unrecognized charges in your financial accounts that are linked to your email account.

  • Your contacts start receiving spam or phishing emails from your account.

  • Emails in your sent folder that you did not send.


If you notice any of these signs, it's likely your email account has been compromised.

Steps to Check If Your Email Has Been Hacked

Use HaveIbeenPwned

HaveIbeenPwned is a reputable online tool that can tell you if your email address has been compromised. To use it:

  1. Go to https://haveibeenpwned.com/.

  2. Type your email address in the space provided and hit the 'pwned?' button.

  3. Wait for it to scan the database of breached emails.

  4. If your account has been breached, it will display the message 'Oh no — pwned!'


Check Your Sent and Deleted Items

Scan your sent and deleted folders for unfamiliar emails. If there are messages that you didn't send, this signals that your account may be compromised.

Check Your Login Activity

Most email providers allow you to check your login activity. If there are logins from unfamiliar devices or locations, this could indicate a hack.

Review Your Account's Settings

Check for any unauthorized alterations in your account's settings. Cybercriminals could manipulate them for their malicious activities.

What to Do If Your Email Account Is Hacked

If you establish that your email has indeed been hacked, don’t panic. Here’s what you should do:

  1. Change your password immediately

  2. Run a malware scan on all of your devices

  3. Contact your email provider

  4. Notify your contacts


Maintaining email security is of utmost importance in this digital age, and checking whether your email has been hacked is fundamental in this. Stay vigilant and protect your digital self.