addressing unauthorized login attempts

ATE Coder 0 Reputation points
2026-06-19T14:10:59.6366667+00:00

I am seeing attempts to login to my account. I change the primary login email and removed the old primary email from the list of allowed emails.

But, still, when logging in the authenticator reports the login email as the previous primary email rather than the email that I use when attempting to login.

Consequently. I cannot tell what email address is used by the unauthorized login attempt.

Is there a way to force the authenticator to report the actual email address the login attempt is using?

Microsoft Security | Microsoft Authenticator
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  1. AI answer

    2026-06-19T14:11:13.9466667+00:00

    Microsoft Authenticator does not provide a way to change how the username is displayed for a given account; it will continue to show the identifier associated with that account entry, even if the primary alias on the Microsoft account has changed.

    To better understand which address is being targeted and to protect the account from unauthorized attempts, use the Microsoft account security tools instead of relying on the Authenticator display name:

    1. Review recent sign-in activity
      • Go to the Recent activity page.
      • Check for suspicious sign-in attempts and select Secure your account for any activity that was not initiated by you.
      • This page shows significant events (such as sign-ins and security changes) and lets you confirm whether they were yours.
    2. Ensure account security info is current
      • Go to the Security basics page (linked from the unusual sign-in documentation) and make sure recovery email addresses and phone numbers are up to date so alerts about unusual activity reach the correct contact methods.
    3. If there are unusual sign-in alerts
      • When Microsoft detects unusual sign-in attempts, an email or SMS is sent to the alternate contact methods on the account. Use those alerts, along with the Recent activity page, to track and secure the account rather than relying on the label shown in Authenticator.

    If sign-in cannot be completed because the authenticator or broker app does not finish the process, follow the guidance in the Authenticator sign-in help and contact the organization’s IT admin if this is a work or school account.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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