To get rid of "suspicious activity detected" alerts, immediately change your account passwords to strong, unique ones, enable two-factor authentication (2FA), and run a malware scan on your device. Review recent login activity to identify unauthorized access, clear browser cookies/cache, and disable VPNs, as they often trigger these security alerts.
You or another user on your network might have malware, which is malicious software that can be installed on your computer without your knowledge. Some malware can cause Google to show this message.
You can:
Step 2: Review activity & help secure your hacked Google Account
Google will let you know if there's any suspicious or unusual activity associated with your account, so you can review it and verify it was you, or take immediate action to protect your account. Every time your account is accessed from a new device, you'll get a notification with the time and place of the sign-in.
Suspicious activity on an endpoint can be a sign of potential security threats, malware infections, or unauthorized access. To protect your data and system integrity, it's essential to know how to respond effectively.
To check if your Google account is hacked, look for unfamiliar devices, strange security alerts, changed settings (like forwarding or filters), or suspicious activity in Gmail (sent emails you didn't write) or other Google services; if you see anything odd, immediately use Google's Security Checkup to review devices and sign out unrecognized ones, then change your password and enable 2-Step Verification.
If you're wondering, "Why do websites think I'm a bot?", it's typically due to how your browsing behavior triggers bot-detection systems. Websites monitor patterns like high request frequency, suspicious IP addresses, unusual browser behavior, and interactions with CAPTCHA challenges to identify bots.
Suspicious login notifications are typically triggered by login abnormalities, including logins from a new device, geograph- ical location, or irregular time. The primary purpose of these alerts is to facilitate immediate user awareness of potentially unauthorized access, thereby enabling rapid intervention.
Uninstall any apps that you don't need, don't trust, or didn't get from the Google Play Store.
You make yourself a target when you unsubscribe
However, this can make matters worse. The act of unsubscribing signals to scammers and spammers that you're actively checking your email. This emboldens them to increase the volume of spam they send.
When you block someone on most email platforms—like Gmail, Outlook, or Yahoo—their emails will no longer reach your inbox. Instead, these messages are typically redirected to a spam folder or simply discarded altogether. However, the sender won't receive any notification indicating that their emails have been blocked.
Google keeps flagging suspicious activity because it detects unusual logins (new device/location) or potential malware, often triggered by VPNs, network issues, or malicious software, but sometimes just over-cautious security; you need to review your Google Account activity, run antivirus/malware scans on your devices, check browser extensions, clear cache/cookies, and temporarily disable VPNs to pinpoint the cause and secure your account.
If you see suspicious activity, report it to law enforcement and describe specifically what you observed, including:
Add a recovery phone number to your Google Account and wait at least 7 days. Then, try again. Learn how to set up a recovery phone number. Sign into your Google Account on a mobile device through the Google or Gmail app and wait at least 7 days.
You see a “Making sure it's you” message when using a security key at the Duo Prompt on Windows. Tap your security key to authenticate. Clicking the Cancel button will cancel the authentication request. This pop-up is an artifact of how WebAuthn works on Windows.