It may seem odd at first, only an e-mail business relationship is a goldmine for scammers. A hacker tin practise more than get their hands on your coveted chicken goulash recipe; they can cause damage to your identity and finances.

So, why do scammers want your electronic mail address? What tin can a scammer practice with your email address and phone number? And what tin can you practise if they fissure your password?

What Can a Scammer Do With My Email Accost?

Scammers typically get into an e-mail address either via brute-force attacks or through a database leak. Once they've gained access, they can perform several actions with your e-mail account.

1. They Can Impersonate You

It'southward common knowledge that you should never trust an e-mail that isn't from someone you trust. As such, those emails claiming you won $iv million in a lottery yous never entered don't trick people every bit easily anymore.

However, scammers are finding a way around this. While the tip makes the states more than disquisitional of emails sent from a stranger, it as well makes us more trusting of emails sent by people we know and love.

Scammers use this weakness by hacking e-mail accounts, then using that account to contact the victim'south friends and family. If the scammer is good at impersonating people, they can play a joke on the victim's contacts into believing they're talking to the victim.

From this bespeak, the scammer can enquire the victim to do whatever they please. They may claim that they're in some fiscal trouble, asking the friends to transfer some coin to the hacker. They could ship a link to a malicious program and claim it's a video of the friend doing something embarrassing.

As such, you should exercise circumspection, even if it's supposedly your good friend sending you an email. If in doubt, try to contact them over the phone or via another method similar social media to see if their request is legitimate.

2. They Tin can Crack the Passwords on Your Other Accounts

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If y'all sign up to a website with sub-par security practices, they'll send y'all an email confirming your username and password when yous sign up to them. All this volition be in plain view for anyone who gains access to your email.

Nigh websites don't or can't disembalm the password in the sign-up email for this reason (although some storing it as obviously text do). These emails are, however, probable to mention your username in the sign-up e-mail, which a hacker can use to gain access to that account.

For example, if you use the same password on your email account for everything else, the hacker already has the password they need to access your other accounts.

If you lot don't, the hacker tin nonetheless asking a password reset from each site. The website sends a reset email to your account, which the hacker tin can so use to change it to their whim.

3. They Tin can Use Information technology to Fissure Email-Based 2-Factor Authentication (2FA)

Someone using 2FA
Image Credit: inspiring.vector.gmail.com/DepositPhotos

Sometimes, a hacker will have the password to someone else's account but will exist stopped past an electronic mail-based two-cistron authentication (2FA) system. Hackers can become through 2FA systems by getting hold of wherever the authentication codes are displayed.

Should a hacker gain access to your electronic mail account, they can get through any e-mail-based 2FA measures yous have gear up upwards.

Some websites ship yous an email when they detect an unusual login blueprint. This e-mail will ask y'all if the login endeavour was genuine, and volition usually requite you a push button to confirm the login attempt. Hackers can subvert this security measure if they accept your electronic mail address by allowing their login try when the email comes in.

4. They Can Collect Sensitive Information

If the hacker gets access to a work electronic mail account, it could be devastating for the visitor. Whatsoever sensitive financial details, company login information, or passwords to concrete locks are all visible to the hacker. This information allows them to perform digital or physical theft on the business organization.

Personal accounts may also have sensitive information hiding within their inboxes. Any banking correspondence may give away details which a scammer tin can utilize to brand purchases on your behalf.

5. They Can Steal Your Identity

If your account doesn't comprise sensitive business information, a hacker can instead settle for stealing your identity.

A hacker can harvest a lot of data from your emails. Invoices take your name and accost in plainly view, and the scammer tin can collect whatever photos yous may have sent. If the hacker gets enough information, they tin can use the data to steal your identity and apply for services under your name.

Keep every source of personal information you accept on the internet safe from prying eyes. It'due south worth learning about the pieces of data used to steal your identity then yous know what you can share, and what to hibernate.

6. They Can Learn When Y'all're Out

If a hacker finds transport tickets or booking details for a hotel in your email, they'll know you lot're out of the house during those days. Combine this with your accost harvested from an invoice, and a scammer knows when and where to burgle your home.

It's essential to keep your travel plans and locations secret, or else you run the risk of attracting burglars to your holding. Fifty-fifty tickets to an upshot can indicate what times you're abroad.

There are many ways burglars tin can tell when you're on vacation, so proceed things quiet while you're abroad. Don't worry; you tin e'er upload those embankment snapshots and selfies when yous get back home!

What to Do If a Scammer Has Your Email Address

If a scammer has your email account, you should effort to change the password immediately. If the hacker hasn't considered changing it, you lot'll have some time to set a different, stronger countersign and force the hacker out.

Unfortunately, hackers will probable change the password to lock yous out. In this instance, you lot'll need to get through your email provider's support page to unlock information technology again. They typically ask for past login information and may crave proof of identity to give your account back.

Once you've changed your password to something stronger, try adding a 2FA security measure to your business relationship. Even if a hacker gets your password again, they also demand to have the 2FA token on-hand, which is easier said than washed.

If this interests you lot, be sure to larn how to secure your Gmail and Outlook accounts with 2FA.

Protecting Yourself From Scammers

You may not be worried near a hacker gaining access to your e-mail account, but think almost all the information a stranger tin get past reading your mail. Compromised email accounts are potential goldmines for scammers, then it'south worth keeping yours secure with a robust countersign.

Now that you know how to protect your account, it's time to learn how to spot a false email. After all, if you're wise to the scammer's techniques to fool you lot into assertive they're someone else, it massively reduces the hazard that you'll fall for their trap.

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About The Writer

Simon Batt (761 Manufactures Published)

A Figurer Scientific discipline BSc graduate with a deep passion for all things security. After working for an indie game studio, he constitute his passion for writing and decided to use his skill fix to write about all things tech.

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