What is email account takeover?

Email account takeover refers to the fraudulent activity through which cybercriminals gain access to your legitimate email account credentials. Attackers often pose as a credible business and create phishing emails, including fraudulent links to take users to a fake login page.

How to execute an account takeover attack?

A successful account takeover attack has to be executed using a few steps: Step 1: Compromise the user's credentials. People often use the same passwords for different accounts, as well as the same username, particularly if it is an email address. Hackers can use this to their advantage.

What type of fraud is associated with account takeover?

The most common type of fraud associated with account takeover is payment fraud. Once an account has been breached, it’s relatively easy for criminals to make purchases and simply update delivery details to redirect items to them.

Why is there a rise in account takeovers?

One of the primary reasons behind this massive rise in account takeover is the relative ease with which it can be done. With more than 15 billion login credentials available on the dark web because of data breaches, millions of online accounts remain at risk of unauthorized access.