Yahoo Account Hacked? Here’s What to Do

PDF download Download Article
Regain access to a compromised account with this easy guide
PDF download Download Article

This wikiHow guide teaches you how to recover and secure a hacked Yahoo email account on any device. You can use your recovery phone number or email address to do so, and you can perform this process on both the desktop and mobile versions of Yahoo Mail.

If you can no longer log in, go to login.yahoo.com/forgot in any web browser to recover your password. Change your password immediately to lock out the hacker, check your security settings, and enable two-step verification.

Section 1 of 5:

PDF download Download Article
  1. If your Yahoo account was hacked and you can no longer sign in, go to https://login.yahoo.com/forgot in any web browser.
  2. In the text box in the middle of the page, type in the phone number or recovery email address you have on file for your Yahoo account.
    Advertisement
  3. Click Yes, text me an Account Key for a phone number or Yes, send me an Account Key for a recovery email address, then do the following:
    • Phone number — Open your phone's messaging app, open the text from Yahoo, and review the 8-character code in the message.
    • Email address — Open your recovery email address inbox, open the Recover access to your Yahoo account email from Yahoo, and review the 8-character code in the middle of the email.
    • If you entered your Yahoo email address, enter the missing numbers or letters from the recovery option listed, then follow one of the above substeps depending on whether you have a phone number or an email address on file.
  4. Type the 8-character verification code you retrieved into the text box in the middle of the page.
    • Yahoo will automatically capitalize any letters.
  5. If you have multiple Yahoo accounts that use your phone number or recovery email address, click the one you want to recover to recover your account.
    6. Advertisement
Section 2 of 5:

PDF download Download Article
  1. A menu will expand.
  2. You'll find this option near the top of the pop-out menu.
  4. It's near the bottom of the screen.
    • If prompted to enter your password (or, on an iPhone, your Touch ID), do so before proceeding.
  5. It's below the short list of recent activities. If your account has been compromised, you'll likely see a location you don't recognize in this list. Changing your password will automatically log your account out on all devices except the one you're using.
  6. Tap Change your password above the list, and follow the on-screen instructions to create a new password. Once changed, anywhere you (or the hacker) was signed in before will be logged out.
  7. This takes you to additional security settings for your account.
  8. Two-step verification requires you to have access to both your Yahoo login information and a separate form of identification (e.g., your phone or a recovery email address) to log in, making it impossible for anyone who doesn't have access to your phone or recovery address to hack your account.
    • Tap Turn on under "2-Step Verification."
    • Select a verification method. You can receive your sign-in codes as a push notification in the Yahoo Mail app on your phone or tablet, as a text to your phone number, using an authenticator app, or using a physical security key.
    • Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the setup.
  9. If you're no longer on the Security tab, tap the back button, then select Security to return there. Scroll down to the "Verification Methods" section and make any needed changes.
    • If you see any unfamiliar email addresses or phone numbers here, tap Remove to remove them.
    • Make sure you still have access to the email address and password listed here. If not, tap Add email and Add phone number to add new ones.
  10. After securing your account, go through your Yahoo Mail settings to ensure nothing looks out of the ordinary. The hacker may have changed your name or forwarded your messages to another location. To access your settings, tap the "y" menu and select Settings .
    11. Advertisement
Section 3 of 5:

PDF download Download Article
  1. You'll see it at the top-right corner of your inbox when you're signed in.
  2. Doing so opens a new page with your Yahoo account information listed.
  3. It's near the bottom of the page.
  4. You'll see a list of all the locations where your Yahoo account is logged in.
    • If your account has been compromised, you'll likely see a location you don't recognize in this list. Changing your password will automatically log your account out on all devices except the one you're using.
  5. Click Change your password above the sign-in list, and follow the on-screen instructions to create a new password.
  6. It's at the top of the page.
  7. Two-step verification is a feature that makes it impossible for someone with just your login information to hack your account—they would also have to have access to your phone or your recovery email address.
    • Click Turn on under "2-Step Verification".
    • Select a verification method. You can receive your sign-in codes as a push notification in the Yahoo Mail app on your phone or tablet, as a text to your phone number, using an authenticator app, or using a physical security key.
    • Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the setup.
    • If you clear your current browser's cookies or remove a signed-in location from the Recent activity menu, you'll have to re-validate your account with two-step verification the next time you log in.
  8. If you're no longer on the Security tab, click it at the top of the page to return there, then scroll down to the "How we make sure it's really you" section.
    • If you see any unfamiliar email addresses or phone numbers here, click Remove to remove them.
    • Make sure you still have access to the email address and password listed here. If not, click Add email and Add phone number to add new ones.
  9. After securing your account, go through your Yahoo Mail settings to ensure nothing looks out of the ordinary. The hacker may have changed your name or forwarded your messages to another location. To access your settings, click Settings at the top-right corner of your inbox.
    10. Advertisement
Section 4 of 5:

PDF download Download Article
  1. Yahoo recommends speaking with their Customer Care team for expert tips on getting back into your hacked account. [1] You have a few options for contacting them:
Section 5 of 5:

PDF download Download Article
  1. If your password stops working but you haven't changed it, your account may be compromised.
  2. If your friends, family, and others are receiving emails from "you" that you didn't send, a hacker may be trying to spam or scam them.
  3. Hackers may change your name or customize other settings in Yahoo Mail if they take over your account.
  4. If you see any unfamiliar locations and devices in your recent activity list, somebody has likely gained access to your account.
    5. Advertisement

Community Q&A

Search
Add New Question
  • Question
    Can I recover my account if the hacker already changed the password and secret questions?
    Community Answer
    Not easily. If you have your account linked to another email account it might be possible to reset the password. Personally, I would recommend contacting Yahoo customer service.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 21 Helpful 32
  • Question
    Yahoo is requesting money and permission to turn my account over to someone to recover it. What should I do?
    Community Answer
    That is a scam. Delete it and move on.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 4 Helpful 5
  • Question
    How do I stop spam emails after I recovered my hacked Yahoo account?
    Community Answer
    Unsubscribe to all newsletters and delete all of the newsletter emails and spam.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 1 Helpful 3
See more answers
Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
      Advertisement

      Video

      Tips

      • Yahoo has been severely compromised in the past, with literally billions of accounts being hacked. [3]
        Thanks
        Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
      • Most people admit to using the same password for various accounts. If your Yahoo email account was hacked, change your password for all accounts, including social media, if those accounts use the same password.
        Thanks
        Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
      Submit a Tip
      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
      Name
      Please provide your name and last initial
      Submit
      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!
      Advertisement

      You Might Also Like

      How To Set Your Browser's Homepage as Yahoo!
      How to
      Join a Yahoo! Group
      How to
      Get Help with Your Yahoo! Account
      How to
      Delete Yahoo! Accounts on Computer and Mobile
      3 Easy Ways to Update Your Yahoo Sign-in Settings
      How to
      Update Your Yahoo Contact Information
      Advertisement

      References

      1. ↑ https://help.yahoo.com/kb/recognize-hacked-yahoo-mail-account-sln2090.html
      2. ↑ https://help.yahoo.com/kb/contact-yahoo-customer-care-expert-regaining-access-securing-account-sln6349.html
      3. ↑ https://www.cnbc.com/2017/10/03/yahoo-every-single-account-3-billion-people-affected-in-2013-attack.html

      About This Article

      In other languages
      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 236,915 times.

      Is this article up to date?

      Advertisement