60-second Google security check to boot hackers and snoops

June 16, 2023

By Kim Komando

I’ll never forget the call I took from a woman whose brother was scammed out of over $450,000. I talk to way too many people who’ve been scammed­­, and in almost all cases, they didn’t realize they were being taken for a ride until it was too late.

It goes past a new romantic partner you met online who needs money for surgery. A friend asks, “Hey, what’s up with that weird Facebook message you just posted?” or you see emails you didn’t send in your outbox. Or worse, you notice strange charges to your credit card or get a notice about a loan in your name.

That’s why I want you to check your Google account before it’s too late. This tip also works for spotting snoops you know. Is a friend or family member poking around your Google or Gmail account? Let’s sniff them out.

60-second safety check

• Go to google.com/devices. Sign in if you aren’t already.
• Here, you’ll see a list of devices — the computers, smartphones and tablets you’re signed into or have been signed into within the last 28 days.

Expect to see the same device multiple times because each session (or instance you logged in) is recorded. That’s nothing to worry about.

You may also see devices that have been inactive for a long time, like an old phone or computer you don’t use anymore. It’s wise to sign these devices out remotely.

• Click the one you want, then Sign out. This will remove access to your Google account from the device entirely.

Here’s the red flag

What happens if you see a computer, phone, tablet, or device you don’t recognize?

• Click the device and choose Don’t recognize something? or Sign out. Again, this will sign the device out remotely.

Yep, you guessed it. It’s time to protect your account. Change your password to be sure whoever logged in can’t do so again. Don’t reuse an old password or choose something easy to guess. This is the time to pull out all the stops.