# Any reason why I would be blocked from my Gmail account?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-reason-why-i-would-be-blocked-from-my-gmail-account/539096>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [May 11, 2010, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-reason-why-i-would-be-blocked-from-my-gmail-account/539096 "2010-05-11T20:52:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\
**Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-reason-why-i-would-be-blocked-from-my-gmail-account/539096/1 "2010-05-11T20:52:29Z")

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Tried to login, got the following message:

> [@](#):
>
> Account temporarily disabled  
> To immediately restore access to your account, enter your mobile phone number below, and we’ll send you a text message with a verification code.
> 
> Verification Options  
> Text Message  
> Google will send a text message containing a verification code to your mobile phone.  
> Voice Call  
> Google will make an automated voice call to your phone with a verification code.

First time it happened, I thought the computer/browser might have been hijacked or something. But it’s happened on two other machines, so I guess it’s that Google doesn’t like me. ☹

They also don’t call back or text back. Basterds.

Anybody else have this happen to them? Did you ever get it resolved, and how?

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**Author:** ![Electronic\_Chaos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Electronic\_Chaos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electronic_Chaos)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-reason-why-i-would-be-blocked-from-my-gmail-account/539096/2 "2010-05-12T00:50:11Z")

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A few weeks ago, a bunch of Gmail accounts were hijacked and used for sending spam. Accordingly, Google disabled the hijacked accounts. I don’t know if yours was one of those affected, but it’s possible.

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**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-reason-why-i-would-be-blocked-from-my-gmail-account/539096/3 "2010-05-12T09:12:36Z")

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I really, really don’t think an email company should be asking for your cell number. That could very easily be a phishing attempt. I don’t know what they could do instead, but I’d be wary of giving said number out.

I’m lucky I changed my password (it was the same as a Facebook account of mine that almost got hacked. They got my password, but didn’t get in because Facebook noticed they were from a cell phone, and I have never registered one with them.)