How do I check if my email account has been hacked?
Key takeaways
- Check the specific indicators below before assuming the worst — many suspected compromises are something else entirely.
- Preserve evidence before you change anything, because the first change can destroy the proof you need.
- Containment comes before recovery, and recovery comes before cleanup.
- Proof of ownership is required before we work on any account, device or system.
As of 24 October 2026: the service descriptions, prices and turnaround figures on this page are current.
What do the signs usually look like?
These are the indicators we check for. The presence of one is a prompt to look closer, not a diagnosis.
- Password reset emails you did not request
- Sent or deleted messages you do not recognise
- Inbox rules that forward or hide mail
- A login from a device, city or country you do not recognise
- Connected applications or OAuth grants you did not authorise
- Contacts reporting spam from your address
What do you actually do?
We review active sessions, inbox rules and forwarding, connected apps, and the OAuth consents that let a third party read and send mail. We then remove them, re-key the account, and check whether the original entry point — usually a phishing link — left anything else behind.
The engagement produces a written record of what was checked, what was found, and what was not found. That last part matters as much as the first two, because it tells you which risks you can stop worrying about.
What can you do right now?
- Write down what you have observed and when it started. Timestamps matter more than impressions.
- Do not delete the app, wipe the device, or change passwords in a panic — each of those can destroy evidence.
- If money is at risk, contact your bank first. Most payment fraud is recoverable within hours and not at all after days.
- Preserve the original: the message, the email, the file, the video. Work from a copy.
- If an account is locked, work back to the root account that everything else recovers through.
What does this usually cost, and how long does it take?
This is a fixed-fee piece of work with a published band and an agreed delivery date, not a day rate that drifts. If what you are dealing with cannot wait for a scheduled slot, say so when you get in touch and we will look at it differently.
| Situation | Typical engagement | Indicative range (ex-GST) | Turnaround |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suspected compromise, nothing lost yet | Device and account security assessment | Rs 40,000 - 1,20,000 | 1-3 working days |
| An account has been taken over | Account recovery and session review | Rs 25,000 - 75,000 | Same day to 2 days |
| Active incident, operations affected | Incident response retainer engagement | Rs 1,50,000 - 8,00,000 | Under 4 hours to engage |
| Ransomware on screen | Containment, evidence preservation and recovery | Rs 1,50,000 - 8,00,000 | Under 4 hours to engage |
| Deepfake or impersonation is spreading | Evidence preservation and platform takedown | Rs 40,000 - 2,00,000 | First notice within hours |
| A repeat or recurring concern | Full assessment with a retest | Rs 60,000 - 3,50,000 | 5-10 working days |
What does this usually cost?
The commercial shape is deliberately simple: a fixed fee, a band agreed up front, and a delivery date you can put in a plan. Some of these situations cannot wait for a scheduled slot, and where that is the case we change the approach rather than the date.
Which related services apply?
VAPT & Penetration Testing
Authorised vulnerability assessment and penetration testing for web, mobile, API and network.
Incident Response & Retainer
24/7 help when something is already happening — and a retainer to stop it happening.
Ransomware Recovery & File Unlock
When files are encrypted, the priority is containment first and recovery second.
Website Malware Removal
Blacklisted, defaced, injecting spam, or sending phishing mail from your server.
Deepfake & AI Abuse Protection
Detection, takedown and monitoring for AI face swaps, voice clones and impersonation accounts.
Digital Forensics & Evidence
For the case where it is not a system you own — it is a question you have to answer.
Account Recovery & Data Recovery
Lost or locked accounts, and lost files — recovered with proof of ownership.
Social Media Account Security
Platform-level account security, impersonation removal and audit.
Email Security & Business Email Compromise
The most profitable hack in India right now, and it has nothing to do with malware.
Wi-Fi & Network Monitoring Setup
Home, hotel, café and office wireless — the ones people forget are a perimeter.
Brand Impersonation & Phishing Site Removal
Fake sites that copy your brand and take your customers' money.
Website Security Hardening
The practical, unglamorous work of making a site hard to break into.
Parental Controls & Child Safety
Device monitoring, account safety and evidence, set up lawfully.
Insider Threat & Access Review
When the risk is sitting inside your organisation, wearing a badge.
Third-Party & Vendor Security Risk
Your biggest attack surface is the supplier you have never audited.
People Search & Exposure Check
See what the internet already knows about you or your staff, and cut it down.
What are the common questions about this problem?
Get this checked
Send a short description of what you are seeing and what is at risk. We will tell you whether we can help and what the work would involve, before you commit to anything.
Request a quote See pricingLast reviewed: 24 October 2026. Information on this page is general guidance, not legal advice. Prices are indicative bands for a typical scope and are confirmed in a written quote before any work begins.