How Do I Know If My Account Has Been Compromised After Clicking A Suspicious Link?

Summary

This guide helps you troubleshoot and resolve: How Do I Know If My Account Has Been Compromised After Clicking A Suspicious Link?. Follow the steps below to fix the issue.

Common Causes

Clicking a suspicious link in an email can put your account and your organisation’s data at risk. Even if you did not enter any login details, visiting a phishing site can expose your device to malware or give attackers information they can use to target you later. This article explains how to recognise signs of compromise and what to do if you have interacted with a suspicious message.

Quick Fix Steps

1. Stop interacting with the suspicious email or website immediately.
2. Close the browser tab or window if you opened a link.
3. Do not enter any usernames, passwords, or verification codes on the page.
4. Report the message as phishing through your email client.
5. Contact your IT support provider and forward the suspicious email for review.

Detailed Instructions

1. Recognise the warning signs

Look for these indicators that your account may have been compromised:

• Emails in your Sent Items folder that you did not send
• Unusual login alerts from Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, or other services
• Password reset emails you did not request
• Reports from colleagues or clients receiving strange emails from your address
• Inbox rules you did not create, especially rules that forward or delete messages
• Unexpected changes to your email signature or out-of-office reply

2. Report the email as phishing

Most email clients include a built-in reporting feature. This helps improve spam filtering for everyone and flags the message for review.

1. Open your email client (Microsoft Outlook, Outlook on the web, Gmail, or Apple Mail).
2. Select the suspicious email without clicking any links or attachments.
3. Look for the Report Message, Report Phishing, or Junk button in the toolbar.
4. Choose Phishing or Report as Phishing if available.
5. If your client does not have this option, mark the message as Junk or Spam.

3. Check your mailbox for unauthorised changes

1. Sign in to your email account directly by typing the website address into your browser—do not use any links from the suspicious email.
2. Review your Sent Items and Deleted Items folders for messages you did not send.
3. Check your inbox rules:
   • Outlook on the web: Select the Settings gear icon > Mail > Rules.
   • Gmail: Select the Settings gear icon > See all settings > Filters and Blocked Addresses.
4. Remove any rules you do not recognise.
5. Review your email signature and automatic replies for unauthorised changes.

4. Secure your account

1. Change your email password using a strong, unique passphrase.
2. Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) if it is not already active.
3. Check your account’s recent sign-in activity for unfamiliar locations or devices.
4. Sign out of all other active sessions where the option is available.
5. If you use the same password for other services, change those passwords as well.

5. Forward the email to your IT support provider

1. Contact your IT support provider via their standard support channel.
2. Create a new support ticket and attach or forward the suspicious email.
3. Include details such as when you received the message and whether you clicked any links or entered any information.
4. Your support team will verify the sender, analyse the message, and assist with securing your mailbox if any interaction occurred.

Troubleshooting

I cannot find the Report Phishing button

Not all email clients display the same options. If you do not see a dedicated phishing option, move the message to your Junk Email folder and forward it manually to your IT support team.

I think I entered my password on a fake login page

Change your password immediately from a trusted device. Visit the official website directly by typing the address into your browser rather than clicking any email links. If you need assistance resetting your Windows login password, see our guide on Password reset (Windows login).

My colleagues received strange emails from me

This is a strong indicator of a compromised mailbox. Change your password, enable MFA, check for forwarding rules, and contact your IT support provider so they can investigate further.

If you host with us, you don't need to do this yourself — just Open a Ticket and our Brisbane team will get it sorted.

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