At a glance
If you’ve been hacked, it’s important to act quickly. Disconnect affected devices from the internet, change your passwords and scan for viruses.
Tell others what has happened and to be alert to unusual messages, links or attachments. Record what happened and report the incident to the appropriate authorities.
Emergency help: If there is an immediate threat to life or risk of harm, call 000.
Hacking explained
Hacking is when a cybercriminal gets unauthorised access to your device, system or accounts. This can put your personal information, finances and online services at risk.
If a cybercriminal gains access to your accounts or devices, they may be able to:
- steal information
- change settings
- access your passwords
- make purchases without your permission
- pretend to be you online
- send messages from your accounts
- install harmful software.
Learn more about hacking.
Signs you may be affected
You may have been hacked if you:
- are suddenly locked out of your account or device
- notice emails or messages that you didn’t send
- have people tell you they’re receiving unusual messages from your account
- notice logins or locations you don’t recognise
- receive alerts about activity, login attempts or purchases you didn’t make
- notice your accounts log you out unexpectedly
- notice files, settings or account details that have changed without your permission
- notice your device displays unfamiliar programs, toolbars or icons
- notice your device becomes unusually slow, overheats or shows unexpected error messages
- cannot access your files or data.
If you notice any of these signs, take action as soon as possible to secure your accounts and devices.
If this is happening now
You can reduce harm by acting quickly.
- Disconnect affected devices from the internet.
- Scan for viruses to detect and remove malware.
- Change your account passwords, using strong, unique passwords for each.
- Tell your contacts to be alert for any unusual links or email attachments.
What to do next
Take these extra steps to reduce the impact of being hacked.
Contact your financial institution
If you think your financial details were stolen, contact your bank or credit union immediately. They may be able to freeze your account, credit cards or stop transactions. Make sure you call them using their official phone number.
Secure your accounts
Check your account activity for transactions, messages and changes you don’t recognise. You should also review your login history for unfamiliar devices or locations.
Reduce the risk of unauthorised access by turning on multi-factor authentication.
Be aware of scams and threats
If you’ve lost money, don’t trust third parties that offer to recover it for you. This is a common tactic used by scammers to steal more money from you.
How to get help and report
It’s important to record what happened and report the incident to the appropriate authorities.
First, make a record of what has happened. This includes:
- what happened
- when it happened
- the platform it happened on
- how you responded.
Submit a report to us
If you’ve lost money, had personal information stolen or someone has accessed your account without your consent, submit a report to us.
We will send your report to the police for review. While they may not be able to respond to every report, the information you provide helps support investigations.
Report data breaches to IDCARE
If you think your information is at risk from a data breach, contact IDCARE. They’re a national identity and cyber support service for individuals and organisations.
Report tax-related issues to Australian Taxation Office
If someone has stolen your personal or business identity contact the Australian Taxation Office. You must report all tax-related security issues to them.
If you want to talk to someone, call our hotline on 1300 CYBER1 (1300 292 371). We’re available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Stay protected
Learn more about how to stay protected through our personal cyber security handbook.