Top 7 Signs Your Payment Account Is Compromised
If you are experiencing unfamiliar or suspicious activity in your account and device, such as unusual notifications, unknown transactions, or inability to access your account using your credentials, then you may be under cyber attack. To provide you with a better understanding, we provide you with the top seven warning signs that suggest your online account has been hacked. Identify them and act accordingly before it is too late. They are as follows:
1. Unauthorized Activity
If your payment account is hacked, you will notice some unauthorized activities, such as new transactions, money transfers, and online shopping payments, without you doing anything. Hackers often run small tests to confirm whether they can make any payment using your account by sending a small amount of money or paying for online shopping. You will receive notifications for these unauthorized attempts related to your account on registered email, mobile number, and text messages. When you receive them, do not take anything lightly. Find out the reason for it, monitor every activity, and call customer support to report the issue as soon as possible. Timely action can prevent the bigger financial loss down the line.
2. Unable to Log In
As soon as hackers take over your account, the first thing they do is change the passwords. Due to this, you are automatically locked out of your account. When you receive unauthorized money transfers, requests, and OTPs regarding your online monetary, immediately log in to your account. If you fail to access it or you receive the wrong password pop-up on your screen, then it is a sign that someone else has control of your account. Go to your inbox and check for the password-reset email. If you find it, then it is confirmed you have lost your account to someone who wants to steal your money.
3. Suspicious Messages
Hackers use messages and emails to attach phishing links and click baits to trick you into visiting unsafe sites and disclosing sensitive data and passwords. As soon as you visit such platforms, disclose your confidential credentials to the online platforms’ bad actors and grab them immediately. After this, they use this information to access your critical online banking account to steal money and pay for their online shopping. In response, you receive suspicious messages and OTP for activities you have never approved. These are indications there is something fishy. In this situation, monitor all your online monetary activities and secure your account before it is too late.
4. Alert Notifications
When someone illegally accesses your account and makes any changes or modifications to it, you receive request notifications to approve the changes or complete the activities. These notifications may include warnings about login attempts, failed logins, push alerts, and text messages. These are red flags you should quickly act upon. Someone is trying to access your online financial gateway or has already entered it. When you encounter such signs, do not delay a single moment. Disable your online transactions and report the issue to the official bank authority.
5. Unfamiliar Devices
Most of the online payment gateways provide you with complete details of each session of your activities, login sessions, and devices you use to access the portal. You can go to the setting and check all the details. When someone accesses your account using another device, it will be recorded in the login session. If someone accessed your account, you can check all the activities and login sessions. If you find any suspicious activity or unknown log-in session or activities, you are hacked. In that case, take immediate action and log out of your account from all the other devices. Change the passwords and important pins and suspend all the transactions to avoid damage.
6. Unintended Redirects
Automatic redirects to malicious and unknown online sites indicate that someone is trying to compromise your device and all the running apps and critical accounts in it. These redirects happen when hackers infiltrate malware and phishing links in your files, data, and online network traffic. You receive unknown links attached to emails, messages, and OTPs. When you click these suspicious links, you are directed to unsafe sites infected with malware and hijackers. These malicious programs move into your device, steal all the passwords, and hijack your monetary portals. Hence, when you encounter unintended redirects, it is a sure sign that your online payment gateway is compromised.
7. New Apps and Software
When a hijacker or malware enters your PC it modifies settings and downloads new software and apps in the system without your permission to run malicious operations. They install keyloggers, ransomware, and other harmful programs to track online activities and steal confidential data. Hence, if you see anything suspicious and unwanted on your device then know it is hacked. Malicious programs hijack your log in sessions and steal all your sensitive data, including financial details. You become exposed to unknown dangers and become a victim of financial scams.
What to do if Your Online Payment Account is Hacked?
If your online payment account is hacked, then it is time to take immediate action and prevent the potential damage down the line. In this situation, the more quickly you act to address online security, the better your chances to safeguard your money. If you find yourself ever in this situation then here are some tips that help you handle the situation effectively.
Freeze Your Financial Account
If you sense even a whiff of suspicious activity, don’t even take a minute to freeze your online payments and transactions. Lock up your wallet and deactivate your credit and debit card as soon as possible. With this configuration in force, hackers won’t be able to make any money transfers or apply for a loan in your name. Meanwhile, you will have some time to report the issue to the relevant authorities and take further action to recover your compromised account.
Cut the Internet
Go offline on all the devices you were using your online payment gateway. Cutting the internet on the spot stops the cyberattack from spreading to your devices and blocks access to the main database and critical online platforms. As a result, your personal information and account credentials will become secure from online hackers. Without the internet, malicious programs cannot communicate from an outside server to share sensitive information. It will protect you from losing your precious data.
Run In-Depth Virus Scan
Activate your antivirus software and run an in-depth virus scan to remove deep-seated malware in the deeply located elements of your PC. In-depth scans analyze each and every part of your PC and catch deep-seated malware infections. It sandboxes the infected file and eliminates the virus with accuracy. It keeps your system clean, secure, and out of danger. Along with this, if there is a fake app or trojan horse on your computer, you can easily detect it and get rid of it using antivirus software.
Factory Reset Your Device
Activate your antivirus software and run an in-depth virus scan to remove deep-seated malware in the deeply located elements of your PC. In-depth scans analyze each and every part of your PC and catch deep-seated malware infections. It sandboxes the infected file and eliminates the virus with accuracy. It keeps your system clean, secure, and out of danger. Along with this, if there is a fake app or trojan horse on your computer, you can easily detect it and get rid of it using antivirus software.
Recover Your Account
Go to the official site to your bank account or connect to a customer care representative. Relate your issue and ask for help to recover your account. Every bank provides some recovery steps to help its clients deal with issues like hacked accounts, stolen cards, and compromised details. By using these security options, you can easily recover your hacked account. In this whole process, you have to be quick to reach the support and implement all the security measures.
Fortify Your Passwords
This is the time to go big on password strength. Don’t just rehash old ones—come up with fresh, unique passwords using a blend of letters, numbers, and symbols. If that sounds like too much to juggle, use a password manager to keep them organized and secure.
Inform Your Friends and Family
Hackers can reach your friends and family using your contacts on your device to further spread the virus to other devices. You must inform your friends and family members about your situation and alert them about potential dangers. Tell them not to make any money transfers to you as your account is already hacked. If they send any money to you it is highly likely they cybercriminals also get that money.
Report the Incident
Report the situation to the relevant authorities to track the anomaly and provide security to your financial assets. You can contact the cybercrime prevention authorities in your state and ask them to simplify the process to deal with the issue.
How to Protect Your Payment Account From Hacking?
Protecting your payment account can be challenging in this age of cyber attacks. Cybercriminals create complex virus threats to target users and hack important gateways. However, using smart tips and safety practices, you can easily safeguard your online payment accounts. For your convenience, we offer some tips that help you deal with the issue appropriately. They are as follows:
Use Strong Passwords
The first step you have to take to secure your online financial portals is to create strong passwords. Use a long password having a combination of letters, numbers, unique characters, and symbols. Do not use your name, home address, or 123456789 as your access keys. They are easily guessable and hackers using complex malware programs can easily find them. So avoid this practice and create unique and complex passwords.
Activate Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
2FA provides an extra layer of security to your critical accounts and access points that include OTP, email confirmation, and calls. If someone has your password and User ID, he still cannot access the main account because of two-factor authentication. You can also utilize Google authentication to approve login to your critical accounts. So, make sure to activate Two-Factor Authentication to secure your account.
Look for Phishing Scams
It is highly important that you watch out for phishing and suspicious links attached to emails, chats, and request notifications. Even when you are visiting a website, make sure it is secure and have an HTTPS with a padlock at the start of its URL. It will protect you from phishing scams and unseen dangers. S in HTTPS stands for security, and padlock is used for encryption data protocols. These links are safe and secure to visit and browse the internet.
Avoid Public Wi-Fi
Do not use Public WiFi to do any type of financial transaction or login to an online payment account. These networks are the best spots for the black hats to infect a device with malware. They target vulnerable devices to infiltrate malware in them and steal all the critical data. Avoiding these free-to-use internet networks will help you protect your data and financial details.
Monitor Your Accounts Regularly
It is highly essential to monitor your account at regular intervals to look out for unauthorized transactions and modifications. It will keep you informed about all the activities and changes in your system. If there is anything wrong you can take timely action to minimize the damage and control the worsening situation.
Set Up Account Alerts
You must set up alerts for transactions, logins, and changes in settings. This will give you instant alerts about all activities and online money transfers. In case of any suspicious or malicious activity, you can take immediate action and protect your account.
Use Premium Security Software
360 Antivirus Pro is a smart antivirus software that you install on your digital device to protect it from online malware attacks and infections. It scans your system to detect virus presence and take appropriate action to keep your PC clean of all the hidden threats. You get complete browser security and protection from keyloggers, ransomware, spyware, and phishing links. You remain safe from all types of malicious programs that pose a security threat to your data and monetary gateways.
