How to tell if your AI platforms’ accounts have been hacked

TechCrunch AI News

Summary

The article provides a guide on how to detect and secure AI platform accounts from hacking, covering services like ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity.

A guide on how to check if hackers have broken into your accounts on the most popular AI platforms.
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Cached at: 08/17/26, 06:58 PM

# How to tell if your AI platforms’ accounts have been hacked | TechCrunch Source: [https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/15/how-to-tell-if-your-ai-platforms-accounts-have-been-hacked/](https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/15/how-to-tell-if-your-ai-platforms-accounts-have-been-hacked/) Just like any other online service, hackers can target and break into your accounts on popular AI platforms such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity\. TechCrunch has created a[comprehensive guide](https://techcrunch.com/2025/03/25/how-to-tell-if-your-online-accounts-have-been-hacked/)to help you protect yourself if you suspect someone has broken into your account on one of the internet’s most popular platforms, social networks, or messaging apps\. Now, we’re here to show you how to check whether your accounts on AI platforms have been hacked\. As usual, we recommend using unique passwords stored in a password manager, and turning on[multi\-factor authentication](https://techcrunch.com/2018/12/25/cybersecurity-101-guide-two-factor/)\(MFA\), so that even if someone steals your password, they won’t be able to log in without that second piece of information\. ChatGPT and Perplexity offer MFA\. Claude doesn’t, because instead of asking for a password, Anthropic’s AI chatbot sends a login link to your email address\. All three of these AI platforms offer similar ways to check if there’s a suspicious device logged into your account\. Here’s exactly how each platform works\. ## **ChatGPT** To find out if someone has broken into your ChatGPT account, open it on your computer’s browser, click on your username in the bottom\-left corner, go to “Settings,” then “Security and Login,” and finally click on “Active Sessions\.” You will see where you are logged into your ChatGPT account\. If you see any device you don’t recognize, you can log out of that single device\. You can also click on “Log out all\.” ![](https://techcrunch.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/chatgpt-active-sessions.png?w=680)**Image Credits:**Screenshot/TechCrunchAt this point, if you want to[change your password](https://help.openai.com/en/articles/4936828-resetting-or-changing-your-chatgpt-password), you need to log out of your account\. Then, on ChatGPT’s website, click “Log in” located in the bottom\-left corner, enter your email address, click on “Forgot password,” and then “Continue\.” ChatGPT will then send you an email containing a six\-digit code\. Enter the code on the ChatGPT login page, click “Continue,” and then enter a new password\. You can also click “reset your password” in the email you received to see the[official instructions](https://help.openai.com/en/articles/4936828-resetting-or-changing-your-chatgpt-password)on how to do that\. ## **Claude** For Claude, open it in your computer’s browser, click on your username in the bottom\-left corner, then “Settings,” and click on “Account\.” That’s where you will see your “Active sessions\.” If you don’t recognize one of them, hover over it, click on the three vertical dots that appear on the right, and click “Log out” or “Terminate\.” ![](https://techcrunch.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/claude-active-sessions.png?w=680)**Image Credits:**Screenshot/TechCrunchIf you want, you can click on “Log out of all devices\.” At that point, you’ll be able to log back into your account using your email address\. You will receive an email with a link to log in\. Claude does not allow you to use passwords at all, so there’s no password to change\. ## **Perplexity** In the case of Perplexity, the AI\-powered search engine does not show you where you are logged in\. So if you’re worried someone may have broken into your account, go to Perplexity in your browser and click your username in the bottom\-left corner, then “All settings\.” Finally, click on “Sign out of all sessions,” and then “Confirm\.” ![](https://techcrunch.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/perplexity-ai-settings.png?w=680)**Image Credits:**Screenshot/TechCrunchAt that point, you can log back in by entering your email address\. You will then receive an email with a unique six\-digit code\. Enter the code on the website to log in, or click on the “Sign in” button in the email to log in directly\. *When you purchase through links in our articles,[we may earn a small commission](https://techcrunch.com/techcrunch-affiliate-monetization-standards/)\. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence\.* Lorenzo Franceschi\-Bicchierai is a Senior Writer at TechCrunch, where he covers hacking, cybersecurity, surveillance, and privacy\. You can contact or verify outreach from Lorenzo by emailing[lorenzo@techcrunch\.com](mailto:[email protected]), via encrypted message at \+1 917 257 1382 on Signal, and @lorenzofb on Keybase/Telegram\. [View Bio](https://techcrunch.com/author/lorenzo-franceschi-bicchierai/)

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