Forum Discussion

tajkkj's avatar
tajkkj
New Contributor III
2 years ago

Your account is locked for safety-- and again and again...

This is really getting irritating. Over the last 9 or so months, I've occasionally gotten an e-mail from Cox with the subject "Your account is locked for safety", and the text states it's because "security flagged some odd behavior".

I know these are valid e-mails from Cox since when I attempt to log into my Cox account, it fails, and I have to reset my password. Most of the time, I do not see the e-mail until my e-mail client fails to authenticate before attempting to download mail. Cox support tells me it is because repeated login attempts with an incorrect password were observed. I know these attempts are not coming from me because the account lock out happens in the middle of the night when my computer is shut down.

I got one again yesterday, and then again today. I'm ticked. I understand, and even appreciate, that Cox is trying to protect my account. But, really, I never see this on my financial accounts, and I'm sure bad actors are attempting to hack into them as much as my Cox account. Is it not possible for Cox to protect my account without the inconvenience of me having to change my password every time they detect multiple failed attempts to hack in?

Thanks,

Tim

    • tajkkj's avatar
      tajkkj
      New Contributor III
      2 years ago

      Yes they do. But the ones I'm getting are only received after I've changed the password for my account. That's because Cox had already locked my account. The e-mails I'm seeing are not phishing attacks. They are a result of Cox locking my account.

  • WiderMouthOpen's avatar
    WiderMouthOpen
    Esteemed Contributor
    2 years ago

    Check your account here. See if it's part of any exposure. Also, I would suggest changing the password for the admin. account and set up 2 step verification. 

    I had my Cox account hacked a couple years ago when they made the transition to Rackspace. Not sure if the two have anything to do with each other then coincidence. All I know is it was enough for me to switch to Gmail.

    • tajkkj's avatar
      tajkkj
      New Contributor III
      2 years ago

      haveibeenpwned shows my e-mail addresses were detected in some old breaches, but my password has been changed many times since then.

      I would just like Cox to find a better way of protecting their users than to force them to continually have to change their passwords. If other companies which deal with sensitive customer data can do it, Cox should be able to as well.

      • WiderMouthOpen's avatar
        WiderMouthOpen
        Esteemed Contributor
        2 years ago

        That was one of the reason's I chose Gmail. They allow you to see the type of equipment and general location of the people trying to log into your account and report the activity. I wish Cox had something like this.

  • Glenee's avatar
    Glenee
    Contributor II
    2 years ago

    Exact same thing has happened to me twice in a short period. I am going to turn off VPN service that I have on one iPad  and see if that helps.

    WiderMouthOpen suggested this to me a while back and I think I will take his advice.

    My situation has been the same each time, I go to check emails and I am locked out. I have to go into my Cox Account and change My password to get back in.

    • JonathanJ's avatar
      JonathanJ
      Former Moderator
      2 years ago
      @Glenee

      Did turning the VPN service off help at all?

      Jonathan J
      Cox Moderator
      • Glenee's avatar
        Glenee
        Contributor II
        2 years ago

        Has not happened since I turned it off. I have no Idea if it helped or not yet , too soon to tell. I  can understand tajkki dilema. It might be time to really try and find out what's causing this. I know in my case if this happens on a regular basis I will be forced to do something about it, if Cox can not help. I am not trying to be mean, just facts. I can't wake up every couple of weeks and start fixing this problem before I can start my Day.

  • tajkkj's avatar
    tajkkj
    New Contributor III
    2 years ago

    This just happened again today! Totally ridiculous. Cox is so lame not to be able to solve this. Every other company I deal with does not have this issue.

    • tajkkj's avatar
      tajkkj
      New Contributor III
      2 years ago

      Now this is really weird. I got one of these notes at 1:17PM MST today. So far however, the account doesn't seem to be locked. I can use my e-mail client to retrieve and send messages. I'm looking up to see if the sword of Damocles is waiting to drop. Sigh.

      • TiffanyR's avatar
        TiffanyR
        Former Moderator
        2 years ago
        Hello Tajkkj,

        I am sorry that you continue to have this issue and that your email keeps being locked. I can imagine how frustrating this would be, especially since it has happened multiple times. I recommend changing your password to one that has never been used, setting up 2-factor authentication, and running checks for viruses/malware on all devices that you use to check your email or log into the Cox website. If you continue having trouble, can you email us at cox.help@cox.com with your name, address, and a link to this thread?

        Tiffany R.
        Cox Support Forum Moderator