Getting locked out of your email account is the worst. A hair-trigger clicking or tapping a finger can get you into trouble.
Nine times out of ten when you can’t log into an account, the problem is how the password is entered. However, if you think you accidentally clicked on a malicious email, make sure to run a security scan on your device and to look for any recently installed programs, apps, or browser extensions that you don’t remember authorizing.
If you hit a situation where your password suddenly seems to stop working, start with the obvious. Make sure your device isn’t using autofill to put in an old password or an incorrect password. Check for simple stuff like an extra space, the caps lock button, or an extra symbol. A period I couldn’t see kept me from logging into an account for a frustratingly long amount of time. Check the saved passwords on your browser or in your Windows credentials. Also, try logging in with a different browser. Sometimes that works like magic.
If not, there’s usually a spot just below your log-in to click if you can’t remember your password.
As long as you have the proper password retrieval information in place, you should be able to reset immediately.