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A friend of mine came to me for help with this issues. Her Gmail account has been hacked and keeps sending out spam emails to her contacts. This is happening to her on a monthly basis. Each time it happens she changes her password. She also went through and tweaked all her security settings. However, even after having done all this repeatedly, when she goes into her "Device activity" in her Google Account settings, it keeps showing an unauthorized Android device that belongs to the hacker. It doesn't give her the option to remove it from her devices either.

It looks like the emails aren't being sent from her device (they're sending spam emails to her whole address book and spoofing the from address to make it appear to come from her). However, we still want to know how to rid this device from her account.

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  • Hmm, how do you know the messages are being sent from her account? If the hacker got hold of her address book earlier, they no longer need access to her account to send messages to get contacts.
    – Vidar S. Ramdal
    May 27, 2015 at 16:11
  • @VidarS.Ramdal Sorry, I should have been more clear. I don't think they're sending the messages from Gmail, they're spoofing messages. But they are still syncing to her Google account (as seen in the screenshot). Despite password changes.
    – Brett G
    May 27, 2015 at 16:39

1 Answer 1

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From Keep your account secure - Google Accounts Help

Make your Google Account more secure

1. Check for viruses and malware.

Run a scan on your computer with a trusted anti-virus software. If the scan detects any suspicious programs or applications, remove them immediately. Read more.

2. Do an account Security Checkup.

Go to the My Account page. In the "Security Checkup" section, select Get Started and follow the on-screen instructions to check your account security.

3. Update your account recovery options.

Check that your account recovery options are up-to-date.

4. Enroll in 2-step verification.

2-step verification adds an extra layer of security to your account by requiring you to sign in with something you know (your password) and something you have (a code sent to your phone).

5. Perform regular operating system and browser updates.

Make sure you've set your computer to update automatically. If you get a notice to update, take care of it right away.

6. Never use your Google Account password on another website.

If you enter your password in an external website and it's compromised, someone could try to sign in to your Google Account with the same information. Make sure to change your Google Account password.

7. Protect your password.

Never enter your password after following a link in an email from an untrusted site. Always go directly to mail.google.com or accounts.google.com/Login.

8. Use a strong password.

Don't write it down, send it via email, or tell anyone. Google will never email you to ask for your password or other sensitive information.

If you use a public computer, take these extra steps:

Always sign out of your account. Just click your name or email address at the top of the page, and select Sign out. Clear forms, passwords, cache, and cookies in your browser on a regular basis.

Note: You should perform these steps more frequently if you begin to notice suspicious behavior in your computer, such as general slowness and pop-up advertisements. For more tips about online safety, visit Google's Safety Center.

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