Think you have been compromised? Where to turn for help

If you think an account or device has been compromised, start with what you know happened. You do not need a complete diagnosis before asking for help. Record the affected account or device, the time, and any actions you took.

Money or payment details: contact the provider promptly

Contact your bank, card issuer, or payment service through its official app or a number on your statement or card. Explain the transaction or information involved and ask what protective action is available. Reporting quickly does not guarantee that money can be recovered.

Keep receipts, transaction references, and copies of relevant messages. Do not send more money to someone who promises to unlock a refund or recover your losses.

Work account or device: contact your IT team

Use a known help-desk number or your organization’s incident-reporting channel. Say whether you entered credentials, approved a sign-in, installed software, or gave someone remote access. If the normal work account is inaccessible, use an established alternative contact.

Follow their instructions before wiping the device or deleting evidence. If you suspect someone still controls the device, stop using it for sensitive tasks and seek help from another trusted device.

Personal account: use the service’s recovery process

Open the provider’s official recovery page directly from a trusted device. For Google, the compromised-account guide covers recovering access, reviewing security events and devices, and securing the account.

Once access is restored, follow the provider’s checks for unfamiliar sessions, recovery details, and connected apps. Changing a password alone is not a complete investigation. If that password was reused elsewhere, secure those accounts too.

Suspect personal device: get reputable technical help

Contact the device manufacturer, your security-software provider, or a repair professional you select independently. Explain the symptoms and ask for a clear scope and cost before granting access. A frightening browser pop-up is not itself proof that the whole computer is infected.

Our remote-access safety checklist helps you assess a support request.

Fraud or identity misuse: report in your jurisdiction

Canada: Follow the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre’s victim guidance. It explains contacting financial institutions and local police, preserving information, and reporting through the official cybercrime and fraud service.

United States: IdentityTheft.gov provides identity-theft reporting and a tailored recovery plan. It is an identity-theft resource, not a general computer-repair service.

Elsewhere, use your national fraud-reporting authority and local police as appropriate. Keep case numbers and a simple timeline. Reporting to one organization does not automatically notify every affected provider.

For the initial steps after a questionable message, see our suspicious-link guide.