changing your gmail password after getting hacked is the first thing everyone does and it barely fixes anything
when someone gets into your gmail they don’t just read your emails, they set up systems that keep working after you lock them out
they set forwarding rules that send a copy of every email to their address, filters that auto-delete google’s own security warnings before you see them, IMAP access that lets them read your inbox from another app entirely
you change the password thinking you’re safe, meanwhile every email you receive is still being forwarded to someone else and you’d never know because the notification google shows you disappears after one week
here’s what you need to check right now
go to gmail settings, forwarding and POP/IMAP, if there’s a forwarding address you didn’t add, disable it
check filters and blocked addresses, if there’s a filter you didn’t create especially one that auto-deletes or auto-forwards, delete it
check your labels for anything unfamiliar, and turn off IMAP access if you’re not using it
if you’ve ever used “continue with google” to log into chatgpt, gemini, or anything else, those apps still have access too. a password change doesn’t revoke them
your password is the front door. hackers don’t come back through the front door, they leave windows open