Let’s Talk: The unforeseen consequences of changing/disconnecting phone numbers and Internet Service Providers Email.

[+Warwagon MVC]

When you sign up for internet service with popular internet providers you are usually given an email address as part of your service.

 

People then start to use that email address all over the internet creating accounts on different websites.

 

Then down the road, they move or switch internet providers and disconnect their current service, and in the process the email address as well.

 

Should they forget their password on any website using that email address, they will be unable to reset their password.

 

This is because they will be unable to receive the password reset link emailed to them.

 

The same is true for phone numbers. People often set up a new Gmail account and use their landline or cellphone number to be sent a text or called with the two-factor code required when signing in.

 

Then at some point, they might disconnect their landline or change their cellphone number.

 

Now when attempting to sign into their Gmail they are prompted for the two-factor code that will be sent to their now disconnected phone number.

 

They are now locked out of their Google Accounts and possibly all the sites they used that email address on, should they not know their passwords.

 

Here are some things you can do to prevent getting locked out of your accounts.

 

• Do not use your ISP email. Go over to Google and create a Gmail account (or any other free email service) . That account will follow you around, regardless of your internet service provider. Some people will stay with an inferior service provider, simply because they don't want to change their email address. A Gmail address solves that.

• Add a recovery email address to your accounts.

• Add a 2nd phone number to your account

• When disconnecting a phone number be very careful and make sure it’s first removed from any account that is currently using it for two-factor authentication.

• Keep very detailed records of your passwords so you never have to reset them. A password manager works well for this.

• If you change your email address, change it on the website first. This way if you find out that you do not know the password to the website you can still be emailed a reset link.

I hope this helps you, so you never get permanently locked out of any of your online accounts.

[+Matthew S. Subscriber²]

Here's some ironny about Cogeco in canada.  I got rid of their service years ago and my email addresses are still active there lol (and I still have access to them)

[+Warwagon MVC]

On 09/03/2023 at 11:42, Matthew S. said:

Here's some ironny about Cogeco in canada.  I got rid of their service years ago and my email addresses are still active there lol (and I still have access to them)

Same for Frontier, given that they use yahoo mail.

[Obi-Wan Kenobi]

I used a Google phone number as my 2fa. Lost said number. And I'm talking thousands of dollars worth of movies, apps, and in app purchases. Can't get the account back. It's just.... Gone. Said email address was from when Gmail was in beta. It's just gone, and there's nothing I can do about it. Period.

[JustGeorge]

I warn everyone about using ISP email when I hear them talking about switching providers.

What stresses me out is mobile phone related problems. Switching vendors (what if they screw up porting my #?), losing access to phone, etc.  So much is tied to my phone. Hate it.

[Astral]

I had an old Steam account tied to the email I still currently use, but can't remember the old password for it. Every once in a while I get a 2FA email from Steam providing the 2FA code, so someone is trying to access it. There's literally nothing I can do as Steam won't allow account merges... makes me sad I can't gain access to the library I once had.

[JustGeorge]

On 10/03/2023 at 11:33, Astral said:

I had an old Steam account tied to the email I still currently use, but can't remember the old password for it. Every once in a while I get a 2FA email from Steam providing the 2FA code, so someone is trying to access it. There's literally nothing I can do as Steam won't allow account merges... makes me sad I can't gain access to the library I once had.

They at least won't allow you to regain access to it and you'd just have to sign in to the accounts separately? 

[Dick Montage]

I just recall what a clusterfudge this whole situation was around 1998 when ISPs were popping up left, right and centre. Essentially any company could become an ISP (often using a white-label service), and offering free email addresses. People swapped all the time and those who had used their ISP provided address were just in such a mess.

 

Thankfully, my girlfriend at the time made me a “jokey” Hotmail address, and that’s all I had ever used.

What bugs me is when you see a commercial vehicle driving around and they list their phone number, website with a custom domain, but then their email is still “@freeserve.co.uk” or some such garbage. Come on…