My account was hacked and contacts are gone. How can I restore them?

Question

Also, incoming mail is going direct to my Trash box only.  Is there any way I can fix these two things?  Thanks for all your help in advance!

Arthur Dent · Accepted Answer

All email is going to the Trash folder - https://help.yahoo.com/kb/mail-for-desktop/SLN6265.html?impressions=true

Once a hacker has copied your contact list they no longer need access to your account in order to send "spoofed" emails that appear to come from you.  The following article has more information.

Account keeps sending spam - https://help.yahoo.com/kb/mail/SLN2159.html?impressions=true

Hackers make changes to your account settings that can direct your incoming emails directly to your Trash folder or forward your emails to a different email address.  The following articles can help you recover a hacked account.

How to tell if your account was hacked - https://help.yahoo.com/kb/SLN2090.html?impressions=true

Changing your password is only one part of securing a compromised account.  I would also recommend changing your security questions and answers.  The article below shows the other settings to check.

What to check when securing an account that has recently been compromised - https://help.yahoo.com/kb/mail/SLN3516.html?impressions=true

Check for any unknown applications or website that have linked to your Yahoo account.  These can be used to access your account.  Delete any that you didn't activate.

How do I manage external application and website connections? - https://help.yahoo.com/kb/yahoo-account/SLN2631.html?impressions=true

Here's a link on restoring your emails, contacts, and other settings - https://help.yahoo.com/kb/mail/SLN2160.html?impressions=true

If you are unable to change your password you will need to contact Yahoo Customer Care.

In the US Call 1-800-318-0612
International users Call +1-509-797-6330

If you would like email support for this issue start here - https://io.help.yahoo.com/contact/index?page=home&locale=en_US
Select "Yahoo Account" for Product.
Select "Suspicious Activity" under Topic.
Select "Someone broke into my Yahoo Account" under Subtopic
Click on the "email" link under Recommended Options.
Fill out the form completely.  The more information you provide the better your issue can be handled.

If you use your Yahoo password at other sites you will need to change the password for those sites as well. I recommend using a password manager like Keepass or LastPass to create and store strong unique passwords for the sites you visit. You can also save notes like your secret questions and answers to the password entries. LastPass can automatically log you in to any web site you have stored in its database.

Here's some other tips for keeping yourself and your account safe.

Make sure your anti-virus is up-to-date and run a full virus scan.  I also recommend downloading MalwareBytes and run a full scan with this program also.  I recommend that you run full scan with both programs on a regular basis.

Safeguarding your Yahoo! Account - https://help.yahoo.com/kb/mail/SLN2080.html?impressions=true

Activate Second sign-in verification

Second sign-in verification - https://help.yahoo.com/kb/SLN5013.html?impressions=true

My account was hacked and contacts are gone. How can I restore them?

1 Answer