Authenticator Login from wrong account

Question

I regularly receive notifications from the authenticator app to confirm a login. I did not make this login attempt. Does this mean someone is mistakenly logging into my account? Where can I see all logins? The app only shows successful logins.

Answer 1

Those unrequested Microsoft Authenticator prompts usually mean that either someone is trying to sign in to the account, someone mistyped an email/phone that matches the account, or a previously requested prompt was delayed. Any prompt that was not initiated by the account owner should always be denied.

To review sign-ins:

1. For a work or school account
   • Go to the My Account portal: sign in at My Account with the work or school account.
   • Select Recent activity (or My sign-ins) from the left navigation.
   • Expand each sign-in item and verify that the location, app, operating system, and time are all expected.
   • If any successful sign-in looks unfamiliar, immediately change the password and then go to Security info to review and update security methods.
   • Unsuccessful sign-ins can indicate someone is trying to guess the password; enabling or confirming multi-factor authentication is recommended.
2. From the Microsoft Authenticator app (work/school account)
   • Open Microsoft Authenticator.
   • Select the work or school account.
   • Tap Recent account activity.
   • Review the listed sign-ins and change the password if anything is unfamiliar.

Key points:

• Always select Deny on any sign-in prompt that was not initiated.
• A successful sign-in from an unfamiliar location, browser, or OS can mean an attacker has access; change the password and review security info immediately.
• Locations can sometimes appear approximate or from another region due to how IP addresses and mobile networks are routed, so also check app, OS, and time details, not just location.

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References:

• Using Outlook mobile to sign in
• View your work or school account sign-in activity from My Sign-ins
• Troubleshoot problems with Microsoft Authenticator