Account takeover
Also called hacked account, ATO
When someone else gets into one of your accounts and uses it as you, to steal money, read your messages or scam your contacts.
Account takeover is what most phishing, password leaks and stolen codes are for. Once inside your email, a criminal can reset other passwords; inside your messaging app, they can borrow your face and voice to scam everyone who trusts you.
The routes in are well worn: a password reused from a breached site, a fake login page that also grabs your code, malware that copies logged-in sessions, or a support agent tricked into resetting your account. Microsoft says attackers now use generative AI to write lures that use real details about a person or company, turning theft of logged-in sessions into an automated pipeline.
Your AI assistant accounts belong on the list too. They hold months of personal conversation, and with connectors they can reach your email and files.
For example
Your WhatsApp is taken over, and your friends start getting messages from "you" asking to borrow money.
Put it to use
Where you'll meet account takeover in ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude, how to use it there, and the mix-up most people make.
Daily Bytes Plus is in the Android app.