Account Takeover Attacks Are on the Rise: How to Protect Your Online Accounts
Account Takeover Attacks Are on the Rise: How to Protect Your Online Accounts If you’ve noticed unusual login attempts on your email, banking, or social media accounts recently, you’re not alone. The New York Department of State’s Division of Consumer Protection issued an alert on August 14, 2025, warning that account takeover incidents are becoming more frequent and more sophisticated. In an account takeover, a criminal gains unauthorized access to one of your online accounts—often through phishing, credential stuffing (using leaked passwords from other sites), or SIM swapping—and then uses it to steal money, open new lines of credit, or impersonate you to target your contacts. ...