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Account keeps getting locked - someone trying to gain access

Anonymous
2024-02-20T08:52:21+00:00

Ever since the other day my account keeps getting locked every day.

And when I checked in my account activity page, I see a massive number of unsuccessful sign in attempts - this is not normal right? Someone seems to be trying to gain access to my account for some reason. This has been going on for at least a month, probably more, I just stopped clicking on the "View more account activity" button at that point.

When I check my google account activity for example, there is nothing there.

I have a strong password (randomly generated by my password manager) and I have both a second email and phone number associated with the account for recovery purposes.

But what can I do about my account getting locked over and over again?

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Security and privacy

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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  1. Anonymous
    2024-02-20T12:07:47+00:00

    Okay, 2FA added, let's see how helpful it is.

    There's probably some botnet running around out there, trying to hack people's accounts, judging by the wide variance of IPs used.

    I suppose it's wishful thinking for an actual security team to get involved over a user forum report. I'm curious if microsoft has a way of monitoring these things...

    2 people found this answer helpful.
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  2. Anonymous
    2024-02-21T10:58:18+00:00

    Two-step authentication and changing the password frequently are the best practices to keep an account safe.

    1 person found this answer helpful.
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  3. Neil D 32,835 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2024-02-20T14:24:59+00:00

    I also have regular tries on my account. I use Microsoft Mobile Phone Authenticator App | Microsoft Security and have gone passwordless.

    Mine come every day from China, Germany, US, Hong Kong plus others. Being passwordless means hey can't get in anyway but I've never had the account locked.

    1 person found this answer helpful.
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  4. Anonymous
    2024-02-20T12:28:07+00:00

    I completely understand your concern.

    I have come across many such requests. No one can actually stop someone from trying to access an account. However, by taking safety measures, it's possible to stop them from accessing an account.

    Yes, Microsoft is aware of it. Many people have faced it. Feel free to send feedback to Microsoft: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/sen...

    1 person found this answer helpful.
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  5. Anonymous
    2024-02-20T11:25:05+00:00

    Hey there!

    My name is Ravi, and I am an independent advisor. I am happy to help you. :)

    I understand how concerning it can be to see unsuccessful sign in attempts.

    It happens with people because of hackers. However, you're safe for now. I suggest you activate two-step authentication. https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/account-bil...

    No one will be able to access your attempt without an authentication code. It all also help you avoid getting locked.

    Feel free to get in touch again if you have any additional questions.

    Cheers,

    Ravi

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