How Do I Recover a Hacked Vanguard Account?

Vanguard gives its clients access to various online investing tools and financial services. This can lead to hacking attempts and identity theft. If you have an account with Vanguard and believe it has been hacked, you need to take immediate action to secure or recover your account and recover your losses. This article will teach you what to do.

Changing Your Account Password

You first need to reset your password, so the hacker is locked out of your account. If you have a Vanguard personal account, use these instructions:

1. Go to the username and password recovery page for personal Vanguard accounts.
2. Enter your first and last names in the upper text fields.
3. Enter the final 4 digits of your SSN, date of birth, and zip code in the text fields underneath.
4. Click Next.
5. Follow any other instructions you are given.

If you cannot access your account, then the hacker has locked you out of it. You will need Vanguard's help to regain access.

Changing Your Institutional Account Password

If you have a Vanguard institutional account instead, use these instructions:

1. Go to the username and password recovery page for institutional Vanguard accounts.
2. Click on "I forgot my password."
3. Click the Continue button.
4. Follow any other instructions you are given.

The hacker has already changed the password if you can't get into your account. You will need to get Vanguard's help to regain access.

Changing Your Email Address

The hacker probably knows the email you have associated with your Vanguard account. So after you change your password, you need to change the email address associated with your Vanguard account, so the hacker can't use it to regain access.

However, Vanguard doesn't make it too easy to change because your email is used to verify your identity in certain circumstances. You will have to contact Vanguard's customer service and ask to be connected to Tech Support. Once you speak to a Tech Support representative, ask them to assign a ticket to an IAM Operations team to change your email address.

Gather the Evidence

Next, locate all suspicious transactions and make copies of the records. Get any other evidence you have of the hacking as well. Make a reasonable estimate of the amount of money you lost.

File a Report with One of the Credit Agencies

If the hacker stole your identity or used your account to make trades, you should also consider filing a report with a credit reporting agency, either Experian, TransUnion, or Equifax. It doesn't matter which one; they must pass such reports to the other credit agencies. Filing a report could help limit liability for trades made in your name and damage to your credit score.

File a Police Report

You should consider filing a police report, too. The police might be unable to do anything for you, but they might recover some of the money stolen from you.

Contact Vanguard

Finally, you should also report this incident to Vanguard. Although you can reach a Vanguard representative online via the help forum, you should call instead to talk to any other departments, like tech support, that you need to talk to. Just tell the Vanguard representative you believe your account was hacked and give them the evidence you gathered. Describe all of the things you have done to secure your Vanguard account. Ask what Vanguard can do to help recover your stolen funds. If you can no longer access your account because of the hacker, ask for help regaining access to your account.