How do I fix a compromised email account?
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You may have received a message from us that your Telstra account has been compromised. There could be a potential risk to your email account or your Telstra ID.
Please check the notification you received to see which of the following applies in your case.
How did this happen?
When we detect suspicious activity, we’ll temporarily suspend or reset your account to prevent someone else from using it. This can be inconvenient, but we take your privacy very seriously and want to protect you from having further personal details compromised.
There are a number of ways this may have occurred. For example, someone may have sent emails claiming to be from a company that you do business with and coerced you to reveal your personal information. Visiting harmful web pages that install malware on your computer can also put your personal information at risk.
Your Telstra email account is suspended
This means we detected a potential risk and believe your email password may have been compromised. To protect your personal information, we suspended your email account.
You can reset the password and restore your email account using the reset your password quick link.
Once you’ve reset the password successfully, you’ll need to sign back into your email with your new password.
Your Telstra ID was reset
This means we detected a potential risk to the Telstra ID linked to your Telstra email and believe your password may have been compromised. To protect your personal information, we reset your password.
To re-activate your account, you’ll need to reset your password.
Once you’ve reset your password, you’ll also need to change the password in your modem settings. Find out how to access your modem settings.
If you use a non-Telstra email program like Outlook or Windows Mail, you’ll need to update your password there too.
Both your Telstra ID and email account are affected
This means we detected a potential risk to your Telstra ID and email account. To protect your personal information, we reset your Telstra ID password and suspended your email account.
You can reset the password and restore your email account using the reset your password quick link.
Once you’ve reset the password successfully, you’ll need to sign back into your email with your new password.
How can I prevent my email account from being compromised?
- Make sure your antivirus software and operating system have the latest updates.
- Complete a virus scan of your computer and devices before having your Telstra email or ID password reset.
- Create a strong password for your account and never share it with anyone. Find out how to create a secure password.
- Check the filtering and forwarding rules in your Telstra email settings and ensure these have not been changed without your knowledge.
- Update the passwords regularly for all your associated email accounts.
- Never reply to emails or pop ups asking for your password, personal information or financial information.
- Never download unsolicited software, apps or plugins, including toolbars and browser extensions.
- Be careful signing into your account from public computers or unsecured wireless networks. Visit our cyber safety page for more information.
- Do not use the same password on different websites. A password manager can help remember them for different accounts.
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