OT - Computer email problem

Is it free or do you pay for it?
If you pay, do you use a card or ACH method?
If you pay, notify your card or bank and put a hold on it.
That usually gets somebody's attentrion.

AT&T's recovery system can't verify your identity because the backup info on file is outdated or missing. It's a common AT&T problem.

1. Go directly to AT&T's password reset page at https://www.att.com/ and enter your AT&T User ID and last name to attempt recovery through security questions or a temporary password.

2. Call AT&T and insist on escalation — the front-line phone system is frustrating, but higher-level agents have more tools available.

3. File an FCC complaint at https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/filing-informal-complaint if AT&T won't help — by law they are required to respond directly when an FCC complaint is filed, which can sometimes prompt faster resolution.

I would stop by my local ATT store and ask for help.

It may be using a wireless number to authenticate you are not a hacker. Unsure, as they will never publish how they prove identity for obvious reasons. The following is from the AT&T website on how to check what wireless number is associated with your AT&T ID:

Have you assigned an AT&T Wireless number to your AT&T ID? You can use it to sign in to your account or for things like NumberSync pairing.

1. Go to your account profile. Sign in, if asked.

2. Look for AT&T Wireless number. If you have a number there, there’s a wireless number assigned to your ID.

You can only assign your wireless number to one AT&T ID. If your number is already assigned to an ID, you must delete it from that ID before you can assign it to a different ID. The assigned number must be an AT&T Wireless number.

1. Go to your account profile. Sign in, if asked.

2. Locate AT&T Wireless number.

3. Select Edit or Remove to update your number.

4. Follow the prompts to complete your update.

5. Save your changes.

Last updated: May 13, 2026

Meanwhile, visiting or calling a local AT&T store would be my go-to because I'm lazy. They will know how to escalate this and do it while you are there or on the phone.

@Ralph Lipeles,

Hmmm. So they blocked your email to protect you from unusual sign-in activity and then say they cannot figure out how to unblock it? What are they telling you to do? Get a new email account? That's a major inconvenience, as most sites (like this one) are going to verify changing your email address by sending a verification to your existing one. And if you don't have access to it anymore, that is a Catch-22 that cannot be fixed without a human intervening to use other methods of verifying identity.

admin wrote:

... Get a new email account? That's a major inconvenience, as most sites (like this one) are going to verify changing your email address by sending a verification to your existing one. And if you don't have access to it anymore, that is a Catch-22 that cannot be fixed without a human intervening to use other methods of verifying identity.

This is extremely important if you are, for any reason, changing email providers/accounts. Never discontinue the old email service until you have everything setup with the new email address.