Verizon account security message FAQs

We've detected unusual activity on your account and, to protect your account, disabled your existing Verizon account password or Personal Identification Number (PIN). We took this step in an effort to protect your account from any unauthorized access. Your account password needs to be reset to regain access to your My Verizon or My Verizon for Business account.

To quickly and securely reset your password or your PIN, follow the instructions in the appropriate sections below.

Verizon mobile customers with business or personal accounts:

• Passwords for personal Verizon mobile accounts can be reset on the Forgot Password page in My Verizon.
• Passwords for Verizon mobile Wireless business accounts can be reset on the Forgot Password page in My Verizon for business.

Verizon Fios and landline customers with business or personal accounts:

• Passwords for personal Fios or wireline accounts can be reset on the Forgot Password page.
• Passwords for business landline accounts can be reset on the Forgot Password page.

When creating a new password, it is important to select a strong password to ensure your account is as secure as possible. Some tips for selecting and maintaining a strong password include:

• Avoid using the same password across multiple accounts;
• Use strong passwords
  • All passwords must be case sensitive, have a minimum of 8 characters and be a mix of uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters;
  • All passwords must contain at least three (3) of the following four (4) characteristics;
    • Uppercase letters (e.g., A, B, C,...Z)
    • Lowercase letters (e.g., a,b,c,...z)
    • Westernized Arabic Numbers (e.g., 1,2,3,...9)
    • Non-alphanumeric (special) characters (e.g., ?,!, %,$,#)
• Keep passwords safely stored; and
• Review the Federal Trade Commission’s guidance on strong password protocols.

Once you create a new password, you’ll then be prompted to update your Secret Question Answers. Secret Question Answers are an important layer of protection for your account. If you have other users that access your account online using their own credentials, please advise them to change their password and, if applicable, their secret questions and answers.

You can further protect your account with additional security measures. See the "Is there anything else I can do" section below to take additional security steps to protect your account.

A Personal Identification Number (PIN) code is a significant protection for your online account and if an unauthorized person calls us about your account. Once you create a My Verizon password and Secret Question Answers, you can sign in to your account and securely change your Account PIN.

Important: To create or change an Account PIN, you must be the Account Owner.

Here's how to create or change your Account PIN for personal Verizon mobile or FIOS accounts:

• If you're on a standard monthly plan go to the Account PIN page in the My Verizon.
• If you're a prepaid customer go to the Account Security page in the My Verizon for prepaid website. 
• Create a new PIN and confirm/save changes.
  • Note: Be sure the new PIN is unique (i.e., not used on other accounts) and not easy to guess (i.e., birthday or SSN number).

To create or change your Account PIN online for business mobile, Fios or landline accounts:

1. Sign into your My Verizon for Business Portal.
2. Navigate to the My Profile page
3. At the bottom, select Manage Point of Contact PIN.
4. Follow the steps which will require a One Time Passcode sent by text message.

Note:

• Choose a unique, 6 character passcode that only you know. Passcodes can't contain information associated with your account.
• If you're a new or re-registering My Business user, you must first register your account here before completing the steps above.

To protect your account, we monitor our networks to detect suspicious account activity. We recently identified unusual activity with regard to your online account.

While we have not confirmed any unauthorized access to your account, the identified unusual activity could mean that a bad actor may have gained access to your online account, including your username, password, secret question and answer, and account Personal Identification Number (PIN). As a result, your Verizon account information, such as your name, email, telephone number, billing address, price plans, Customer Proprietary Network Information (CPNI) and other service-related information, may have been accessed without authorization.

As a precaution, we require you to reset your password or account PIN.

By disabling your password, we’ve protected your Verizon online account. To access your account we require that you create a new password. See the How do I create a new password? question above to learn how.

No. Financial information, such as banking information, Social Security Numbers, and tax IDs, was not exposed.

As a precaution, you may want to contact the credit bureaus or review your credit reports to ensure that there is no new activity on your credit report. The three credit bureaus can be contacted at:

• Equifax: Equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services or (800) 685-1111
• Experian: Experian.com/help. or (888) EXPERIAN (888) 397-3742
• TransUnion: TransUnion.com/credit-help or 888-909-8872

• Postpaid customers
  • Enhanced authentication gives you the most control over who is accessing your account. When you sign in, you’ll be required to confirm through your device that it's actually you signing in and not a bad actor who doesn’t have access to your device. This enhanced authentication only takes a few seconds and provides significant protection.
  • Number Lock adds an additional layer of protection by making it more difficult for someone to steal your mobile number and control your number by porting it over to a different account under another carrier. When properly enabled, Number Lock will notify the account holder of any attempt to steal your number.
    • To enable Number Lock go to the Number Lock page in the My Verizon app or website.
• Postpaid and prepaid customers
  • Download and set up the My Verizon or My Verizon for Business app and enable push notifications for the application. Ensure that your password is unique, not easy to guess and changed on a regular basis. Never share your username/password with anyone.
  • Verified email address. We use your email to deliver urgent and important security notifications - some legally required messages can only be sent to a verified email address. Without a verified email, you might miss important account notifications. Once it is verified, we know we have a secure way of reaching you should we need to.
  • Stay educated. Visit the Keeping your account safe FAQs to read about the latest scams and frauds and to get tips to avoid them.

If you use the same password elsewhere, you should secure those accounts.

For example:

• You should change your passwords for email and social media accounts or any other accounts that use your device to verify your identity via Two-Factor Authentication.
• You should change your PINs/passwords for financial accounts.

Verizon has no control over and no connection to accounts associated with other companies or the methods used to access such accounts. Verizon is suggesting these steps as a courtesy to help our customers better protect themselves.

If you haven't already done so, please follow the online password process in the How do I create a new password? question above. We want to ensure that you use that online reset process. This is key to ensuring that you've protected your account.

If you've completed the online password reset process and you have concerns about Customer Proprietary Network Information (CPNI), download and complete the CPNI Complaint Form (PDF*) and email it to us as directed on the form.