Two factor problem = account lost. user since 2009.

[joaochora]

Good afternoon Dropbox Users and Community,

Today I want to share with everyone my experience with Dropbox for, maybe, Dropbox one day think on it and find a smart solution.. because as I will show you, **it happens!

First of all, I'm writting this text as [removed] (my 2nd account) but the problem is with my main account that I use since 2009 ([removed]).
I´m writting it from this account because I dont have access to my main account.

I'm military and I was in comission out of my country for more or less 1 year and my cell phone carrier cancel my cell phone number because I didn´t pay the monthly value. Of course I knew that will happen but I dont want to pay every month +/- 20€ knowing that I will not use it.. (at this time I was using dropbox without any problem in the desktop).

The time pass and some months after, the Android release the version 7.0 and my system got the update and format the cell phone.

Well I install all of my apps and configure again my bank account because many of them had 2-factor activated. Of course I got some problems in some of them to prove my identity.. (but I sent my id card and mac addresses of the devices that were previous connected to that accounts and all got solve! and we are talking about real money...bank account!).

One of the apps that I reinstall was Dropbox. And I though: "well currently I´m not using it in my cell phone so I configure it later" (again, at this time I was using dropbox without any problem in the desktop)...

The time pass and 1 year after I formatted my computer.

When I was installing all the applications that I had before, I face the problem that I´m sharing with you today... I couldnt access to my Dropbox account because:

Problem 1 - Cell phone number. I no longer have this cell number because it got deactivated.

Reaction 1 - I contacted my old cell phone company and they cant reactivate it because it is beeing sell in some store of the country and they cant know the location of it now.

Problem 2 - I dont have any devices with the dropbox information saved

Reaction 2: But I still have my Sony Xperia Z5 Compact and my desktop that were the last devices to access in my account.

Problem 3 - Unfortunatelly (my mistake) I didnt´t save the emergency pin code correctly... I though the best place should be where I expect never to lose it.. Inside of the dropbox.. So I cant reach it now...

To solve this I have:

Solution 1:
My Dropbox account is connected to my Gmail account.
My Gmail account is connected to my Facebook account and Bank Accounts.
My Gmail account is connected to my Paypal account and eBay account.
Can send you or do a remote connection with Dropbox to prove my identity through logins or send you some data of my bank that had at that time that contacts. this method BUT if it is not enough:

Solution 2:
About my cell phone number I still have extracts of the bank including my personal data . I also have papers with monthly payments to my old number. Can send you to prove my identity too. But even this method isnt enough:

Solution 3:
I still have the devices that were connected in the past to my Dropbox account.
I have the security codes that you sent me to my old number with the codes. I have that messages in my inbox! I also can send you pictures of the mac address and imei of the cell phone or the computer.

Well as you can see I can prove easily my identity if you decide to help a costumer and stop writting me default answers that dont help this situation.

(For the Community I already sent a ticket were I put some information of the solutions that I propose but for now there isnt solution).

For the Dropbox helper that will read this, I know that this is only valid if I write it from the correct email address but as long as I can´t do that, I have this ticket that have many information about this problem.

Ticket: #8172606

I think the solution to this isnt to go through weekly trying to contact my old phone number in the hope that there is already a user to resend me the pin code... This is absurd.

[jdcchora · Accepted solution]

Good morning Dropbox Users,

I had lost the full access to my Dropbox account.

I lost my cell phone number; the emergency codes; and all the devices that I had connected so I couldnt sign in.

After "fighting" with many persons that work in the costumer service of Dropbox and persons, that are suppose to help here in the community, I finally got a solution and I want to share with you it.

Remember this only works if you are the real owner of the account.

Things you must have:

1 - You must have a cell phone and/or another device where you had your account connected.

2 - Contact costumer service through chat and explain the problem. Open a ticket. (you must create another account to chat ).

3 - They will sent you a link to the email of your MAIN account. Follow the instructions.

4 - Contact again costumer support using the ticket number and ask to talk with a supervisor and provide these informations:
4.1 - Email of the account.
4.2 - Full name on the account.
4.3 - DTG (Date-Time Group) of the creation of the account.
4.4 - The cell phone number associatted to your account.
4.5 - Your actual city (where are you typing right now).
4.6 - The city where you did the last successfully login into Dropbox.
4.7 - The name of a file that you have recently uploaded to Dropbox.
4.8 - The name of a folder that you have created into Dropbox.
4.9 - The name of any person with whom you share a folder, AND the name of that shared folder?
4.10 - The name of any linked computer?
4.11 - Attach a picture of the mac address of the network card that you used the last time to connect to your Dropbox. (it can be a cell phone or computer).

If you give those informations correctly they will check your situation, and if all its ok, they will sent you a link (that expire soon, so pay attention to the email address that you used to chat) that allows you to reset your password.

Hope it allows to solve situations like i had before.

For read my situation follow this link:
https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/Manage-account/Two-factor-problem-account-lost-user-since-2009/td-p/...

This really works for me. Hope it helps the next users that pass through the same problem.

I will follow this thread for help also who needs

[jdcchora]

@Mark can you change the name of my topic? This one doesnt help to much right now.

Change it to: "Recover Account with 2-FA active (solution)"

Thanks

[alexmn1]

Hello,

I am trying to access a 3-4 year old account. I have the account email, the password, and the 16 digit backup password. Is there a link i can goto to get account access without it first sending the 2fa to the old phone number. (A bypass with just the credentials i currently have?). I went to login and it said it sent the 2fa message but i didn't see another different field to enter the "emergency" 16 digit backup password. Thank you, -a

[Rich]

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@alexmn1 wrote:

... i didn't see another different field to enter the "emergency" 16 digit backup password.

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From here: https://help.dropbox.com/accounts-billing/security/issues-two-step-verification

Use your Dropbox emergency backup code

You may have set an emergency backup code when you set up your Dropbox account. If you did, you were told to save it for your records. If you still have your backup code, click Having trouble getting a code? in the window that appears when you try to sign in, and then click Enter the emergency backup code and type in your code.