Internet safety · Advanced

A compromised account: a recovery plan

Contain unauthorised access, recover the account and review ways an attacker could return.

First, reduce the risk

If you suspect unauthorised access, use a trusted device and open the official website or app yourself. If bank details or transactions are involved, contact your bank immediately through its official channels. Do not trust numbers sent in a suspicious message.

Recover and secure

Change the account password and any other account where you reused it. Start with the associated email account, which may allow other passwords to be reset.
Sign out sessions or remove devices you do not recognise in security settings. Review the recovery email and phone, forwarding rules and connected apps; remove unknown changes.
Enable two-step verification, preferably with an authenticator app or security key when available. Keep recovery codes somewhere safe. Never send them to another person.
Update the device and run a security check. If you cannot sign in, follow the recovery process on the service’s official website.

Record and report

Keep relevant messages and dates without forwarding sensitive data. Warn contacts if they received messages you did not send. See the Bank of Portugal and CNCS incident reporting instructions.

The information on this portal is educational. For health matters, always check guidance with a healthcare professional.