# Failed log in attempt (someone trying to get into my account)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/failed-log-in-attempt-someone-trying-to-get-into-my-account/779004>\
**Category:** About This Message Board\
**Created:** [February 4, 2017, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/failed-log-in-attempt-someone-trying-to-get-into-my-account/779004 "2017-02-04T20:17:46Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2017, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/failed-log-in-attempt-someone-trying-to-get-into-my-account/779004/1 "2017-02-04T20:17:46Z")

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So I got an email saying someone tried to log into my account and was locked out. Wasn’t me. I was also given an IP address. Who do I contact about this? Can the IP address be used for anything?

Are other people getting this message or just me?

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**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2017, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/failed-log-in-attempt-someone-trying-to-get-into-my-account/779004/2 "2017-02-04T20:20:24Z")

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> [@Wesley\_Clark](#):
>
> So I got an email saying someone tried to log into my account and was locked out. Wasn’t me. I was also given an IP address. Who do I contact about this? Can the IP address be used for anything?
> 
> Are other people getting this message or just me?

Send me details in a PM or e-mail.

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**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2017, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/failed-log-in-attempt-someone-trying-to-get-into-my-account/779004/3 "2017-02-04T20:27:30Z")

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I forwarded the email.

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**Author:** ![PoppaSan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/poppasan/32/189_2.png) [@PoppaSan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoppaSan)\
**Post date:** [February 12, 2017, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/failed-log-in-attempt-someone-trying-to-get-into-my-account/779004/4 "2017-02-12T16:57:25Z")

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So to follow up, was this a typo, software blip, genuine hack attempt or a phishing scheme?

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**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\
**Post date:** [February 12, 2017, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/failed-log-in-attempt-someone-trying-to-get-into-my-account/779004/5 "2017-02-12T21:35:19Z")

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I’m not sure what it was, to be honest. It wasn’t a software blip. It also wasn’t a typical foreign hacker type of thing. The IP isn’t a typical source of spam or hacking.

My best guess is that it was someone trying to hack into the board, but they didn’t try very hard or didn’t know what they were doing. I really don’t know, though.