What happens when your Google account is hacked?

Hacking has been rampant recently and although Google has made some improvements to security, it seems they are still vulnerable to getting hacked.

 Last week 4 Google users contacted me for help after they were locked out of their business Google accounts and had lost all access to data. I tried reaching out to Google and the response was surprisingly shocking. I could not tell if it was a bot or human.

I posted my email email on a forum here, as well as G-suite and Google forums. The lack of urgency on Google's part is ensuring that companies who host data with Google, certainly risk losing that data, not because these accounts are not secure, but because Google does not have a plan to allow users to recover the account.

After I received 4 reports of hacked Google/G-Suite/Gmail accounts in one week, I took a look on Twitter to see if other have experienced the same. It looks like this is happening a lot and it does not look like people regain access once hacked.

If you cannot complete the account recovery steps, then you are locked out and you no choice but to setup another Gmail account or setup an email account with a more secure service, as posted on this Webmail Wiki.

My channel will be back up soon! Someone hacked my Google account AND bank account...so getting that sorted out first. XD

— TBC_Miles (@TBC_Miles) December 1, 2017

@lifeatgoogle Help! I've been locked out of my Google account and it says I have to wait up to 2 days to access to be restored. I think my account was hacked. How do I talk to someone??

— Kyla Armstrong (@mormishmom) November 30, 2017

My #Google account hacked on Monday so business email suspended since Tuesday. #Gmail recovery process extremely slow - nice people but team seem to work in a time zone of another universe. Frustrating.

— Jo Rimmer (@JoRimski) November 30, 2017

good morning my google account is hacked/stolen

— PaatrickZockt (@kuehne_patrick) November 28, 2017

so ...someone just hacked my google account and changed my name to "Penis Assaro" ....funny guys , very funny pic.twitter.com/t29IzpX8sR

— Michaela (@chaela_asaro39) November 28, 2017

@Google My friend’s google account was hacked, what should she do to get it back? We’ve tried the hijack recovery link and it says it couldn’t verify the account was hers, but we answered all the questions! Help would be greatly appreciated

— Brendan Dean (@megaweasel4) November 25, 2017

#Gmail #Google account hacked!! Please help. I can't reset or recover my Gmail account as when I'm asked for my... https://t.co/AeOLizbaTO

— Janine Smith (@ConciergeSA) November 22, 2017

My youtube channel has been hacked, i cant log into my google account

— 𝕊𝕒𝕧𝕒𝕟𝕟𝕒𝕙 (@OceanEyesColby) November 20, 2017

It seems I've had a google account since February 2010... I didn't remember I had it, then I got an email it was hacked 2 days ago... So, that is neat.

— Moon-ziggy (@MoonbaneQE) November 17, 2017

@gmail My Google Account has been Hacked by someone and change all details including phone no and recovery Email address, But I have all Impotant identity to identify I am a real owner like National Identity which has my Fill names. Please help me.

— Deodatus P. Goodluck (@IamDeoGoodluck) November 15, 2017

Who ever hacked my google. Account, Go screw yourself.

— Victoria Verrecchia (@VictoriaVerrec1) November 12, 2017

@sundarpichai I'm trying to get a full refund for the fraudulent charges that were made to my credit card by someone who hacked my Google account. I've emailed Google, but was told I wouldn't get a full Refund! I've filed the paperwork for a lawsuit I'm bringing against Google.

— Shannon Sullivan (@shannonsull72) November 11, 2017

@Google 3rd time lucky? Please help me get back into my google account. been hacked and lost all access including recovery. no reply as yet :(

— Mykal Blenkhorn (@mykal_blenkhorn) November 10, 2017

I was hacked about a year ago. Super uncomfortable to have someone use my hacked Google account to threaten my fiancee. When I find them...

— The Gibson (@wintermute616) November 5, 2017

Ok my Google account is getting hacked this shit is gonna go wrong. pic.twitter.com/MpQNuJcXyA

— Ricardo [TeEm] (@ricardobrug) November 2, 2017

Apparently I had an old Google account which was hacked 20 minutes ago.
I hope you did what you wanted because this account is gone.

— Seldszar (@0xSeldszar) November 1, 2017

Yesterday I tried to reach @google about a hacked account. Today they sent me this? #wtf pic.twitter.com/LTsR9GjybN

— Perry Toone (@ptoone) December 1, 2017