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Tell HN: Need help, locked out of Google account with 10 years of personal data

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Tell HN: Need help, locked out of Google account with 10 years of personal data

#1

Post by taosx »

I've been locked out of my Google account which contains over a decade of my digital life, and I'm at my wit's end trying to recover it.

The situation:

- Woke up today completely locked out

- Got "secure your account" message

- Set new password + recovery info but kept getting redirected to login

- Received "unusual activity" warning (around the time I was asleep)

- System asks for old phone number (lost in 2022)

- Have tried recovery dozens of times through g.co/recover

- Still have access to old recovery email but system never asks for it it

What I've tried:

- Using same devices and network as always (google pixel)

- Multiple recovery attempts with both old/new phone numbers

- Both old/new passwords (then never say which one they accept)

- Following all official Google recovery guides

I have so much of my life there:

- Primary email communications

- Password manager data

- Business documents and projects

- Personal documents

- Google Drive contents

- Contacts

- OAuth access to numerous services

- Years of irreplaceable data

I've exhausted all official channels and online resources. The thought of permanently losing access to this account is terrifying. Has anyone successfully recovered their account in a similar situation? Any Google employees or security experts who might be able to help?

This account represents my entire digital identity, and I'm desperate for any guidance or assistance.

Re: Tell HN: Need help, locked out of Google account with 10 years of personal data

#4

Post by catlikesshrimp »

First things first: (Parenthesis) From now on, if it is important, pay for it. At least a smaller email provider with real human support, but best is "buying" your own domain and hosting your email. Same goes for backups. And pass the info to your loved ones.

Less importantly: Since you know exactly what phone# is requested, try to contact it. Approach it in a way that doesn't alarm the renter and blocks you. Meanwhile, contact a real human in "telephone company" (maybe said # is free) and explain the situation: you want/need to PAY to get the phone number assigned to you (My telecom offers that service)

Human Is always the keyword

Re: Tell HN: Need help, locked out of Google account with 10 years of personal data

#7

Post by taosx »

catlikesshrimp wrote: post #4

First things first: (Parenthesis) From now on, if it is important, pay for it. At least a smaller email provider with real human support, but best is "buying" your own domain and hosting your email. Same goes for backups. And pass the info to your loved ones. Less importantly: Since you know exactly what phone# is requested, try to contact it. Approach it in a way that doesn't alarm the renter and blocks you. Meanwhi…

Learnt my lesson, already working on taking measures for new data or hopefully the data from the account if I recover it.

I already called the number, it seems it's not in use, called someone (he was selling "pretty" numbers online) to ask if it's possible to get it back and they said that there have been cases and it's currently in something they call "quarantine" and there may be complications as there are two operators involved, the original operator of the number and the one to which the number was ported to. I will follow up on Monday on that front.

Thank you.

Re: Tell HN: Need help, locked out of Google account with 10 years of personal data

#8

Post by taosx »

wilderw wrote: post #6

You say you lost a phone number in 2022. Might some of the people you know, still have it in their contact lists?

Sorry, I meant that I don't have it in my possession as I've moved out of the country and stopped paying for it, but I still know the number, the issue is that I can't get a message to it for 2FA.

Re: Tell HN: Need help, locked out of Google account with 10 years of personal data

#9

Post by voisin »

Not intending to shame OP, but in 2024 with stories like this occurring regularly, I am totally baffled why anyone still trusts Google with anything important. Make the switch! Run, don’t walk. Do it today.

Google is the Scorpion in the parable of the frog and the scorpion - it cannot help its nature.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Scorpion_and_the_Frog

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