The Estate Agent Whose Email Was Used to Defraud Buyers

What to do if your business email is compromised

A compromised business email account needs to be treated as an emergency. Criminals who have access to your inbox can read client communications, intercept invoices, learn your payment patterns, impersonate you to clients, and reset passwords on linked services. Immediate steps: 1. Change the email account password immediately from a device you trust (not the potentially infected one) 2. Enable two-factor authentication if it isn't already on 3. Check and update the recovery email and phone number — attackers sometimes change these to maintain access 4. Review recent sent items for any emails you didn't send 5. Check email forwarding rules — attackers often set up silent forwarding so a copy of every email goes to them even after you change the password 6. Notify your bank, key suppliers, and clients that your email was compromised and that any recent payment instructions from you must be verbally confirmed 7. If customer or client data was accessible from the inbox, assess whether an ICO notification is required within 72 hours The discovery that your email was silently monitored for days or weeks is unsettling. Start with the steps above, then work with an IT professional to understand the full scope of what was accessible.