"Someone tried to log into your account" message

[AS7911]

When i get a text with the subject content followed by " if this wasn't you, we recommend you change your password immediately..." My question is ...why? They don't know my password. Why change it? Seems like I get a message like that from 1 of 101 accounts I log into... about once a week.

[gavinsiu]

Just to be on the safe side, you could change the password. The other possibility is that if you use an aggregator like yodlee, it might result in a similar message.

Does it say where it login from?

[mhalley]

Liability reasons. Maybe your pw is weak and since someone is trying to login they might eventually get it. So not only change the pw but make it stronger.

[rkhusky]

All they guessed is the username.

[Boglenaut]

All they guessed is the username.

Or more likely someone has a similar username and keeps making a typo. I had that happen to me once when I used too common sounding of a username.

[MGBMartin]

All they guessed is the username.

Or more likely someone has a similar username and keeps making a typo. I had that happen to me once when I used too common sounding of a username.

Or the user name is the email address which half the world knows already.

[jimhend1]

In a similar vein I don't understand how I have received a 6 digit 2 factors code I did not request. Does that indicate they have my UID and PW to get a 2nd factor code?

[Boglenaut]

In a similar vein I don't understand how I have received a 6 digit 2 factors code I did not request. Does that indicate they have my UID and PW to get a 2nd factor code?

Possibly, but not necessarily.

I don't want to get into the details for security reasons, but if your phone number accidentally got associated with some random stranger's account they could be triggering them unknowingly. It happened to someone I know.

[rkhusky]

In a similar vein I don't understand how I have received a 6 digit 2 factors code I did not request. Does that indicate they have my UID and PW to get a 2nd factor code?

Possibly, but not necessarily.

I don't want to get into the details for security reasons, but if your phone number accidentally got associated with some random stranger's account they could be triggering them unknowingly. It happened to someone I know.

+1
It’s easy to mistype a digit and get a valid number.

[ccieemeritus]

But don’t click the link in the email you received! The email itself might be a scam.

Type in the domain name of the website yourself. Then you can go through the change password procedure.

Use a password manager and have a different password on each site. If a hacker penetrates (for example) the Bogleheads web server, you don’t want them using that password at your other sites.

[mkc]

But don’t click the link in the email you received! The email itself might be a scam.

Type in the domain name of the website yourself. Then you can go through the change password procedure.

^ This ^

These texts could easily be phishing scams.

[HooCares]

I would be more concerned that they know your password and failed 2FA. No big deal if you have unique passwords for every site, but if you use the same one everywhere you need to be concerned because not every site has 2FA enabled.

[NYCaviator]

All they guessed is the username.

Or it’s a financial aggregator trying to log in. If OP has any accounts linked to other websites that would do it.

I’d still change passwords just to be safe.

I wonder if things like Schwab or Fidelitys security guarantee would be voided if someone gets such a message but doesn’t change their password.

[lstone19]

When i get a text with the subject content followed by " if this wasn't you, we recommend you change your password immediately..." My question is ...why? They don't know my password. Why change it? Seems like I get a message like that from 1 of 101 accounts I log into... about once a week.

I completely agree. Nothing about it suggests a password compromise and it is well established now that forcing unneeded password changes makes things less secure (people more likely to record them in insecure locations). In this case, the password did its job. Changing the password will not improve the situation.

Imagine if the physical lock on your home could report "Someone tried to unlock your door with the wrong key. If this wasn't you, we recommend you have all your locks rekeyed immediately." Such as suggestion would be absurd.