Imagine my panic this morning when I tried to login to my Google account and I found that my account had been suspended! I tried accessing my blog and found a message saying due to detection of unusual activity my blog had been removed! Now I have frequently read of blogs being removed and it taking ages for them to be restored so I was not a happy bunny.
There was a link to click for help so I clicked and this message came up.
Now being extremely cautious about giving any personal information over the Internet following unexpected requests I pondered a while. I asked Martyn to check whether he could access my blog but he was shown the same message as I had been. So I figured that I had no choice and duly entered my mobile number. Very quickly I received a text message with a six figure number code with which to verify my account which I did.
I was then asked to enter my phone number again and I then received a second verification code which I entered,
With some trepidation I tried to access my blog and hey presto it was back! So if this happens to you I hope sharing my experience will help and sorry if you tried to access my blog when it had gone awol!
Now I really would like to know what the unusual activity was!
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That's scary. You must have been so upset by it. Thank you for telling us about your experience - like you, I am very cautious about sharing my details. I hope you've had a strong cup of tea to aid your recovery.
ReplyDeleteNo G Shoe no tea - it would have made matters worse as I don't like tea. I had a shower instead.
DeleteAargh! Google aren't always that quick off the mark considering the amount of spam that gets through. Like you I wonder what the unusual activity was?
ReplyDeleteAt least I got my blog back quickly Elaine but I was worried at first.
DeleteI had this happen a few weeks ago, both my blogs were suspended. I think mine was due to increased traffic on my other blog when there was a link to it from another, very well used, site.
ReplyDeleteI can't think what mine was Jo
DeleteVery odd. Having said that I have been having quite a few issues with CPU and Virtual memory spikes which max out the amount I'm allow on my shared host. Struggling to get to the bottom of it all. Perhaps it too is unusual activity...
ReplyDeleteI just hope it doesn't happen again Liz.
DeleteHello Sue - I was a bit worried here! Good to see you back and thanks for the details on this. Yes, I’d be worried about the unusual activity too - I’m a bit of a worrier there.
ReplyDeleteI did notice your blog had gone and doubted you had just deleted it. I checked Martyn's blog and saw I could email him and if you hadn't appeared today I would have contacted him. I'm not certain but I think your blog had disappeared yesterday/last night when I looked.
Phew for you :-)
Thanks Shirl - it's good to know that you were looking out for me!
DeleteThanks for this info Sue. If it had happened to me it would have thrown me into uncontrolled panic!
ReplyDeleteHope it doesn't happen to you Roger - it's not a good feeling!
DeleteI had the same thing happen to my blog a few weeks ago it was after I had done a full system scan on my computer and gsve it a tidy up.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't done anything out of the ordinary yesterday Stacy. My virus protection does tidying automatically but I don't think that will have affected it.
DeleteA scary moment, indeed! We are very much at the mercy of organisations like Google, and I don't trust them very much.
ReplyDeleteThat's very true mark 0 I've suffered in the past from using an online web management system that has folded eaving me high and dry but that lesson was learned.
DeleteGlad you are back with us. If ever there was a reason to keep an up-to-date backup this is it.
ReplyDeleteMust admit I don't have a blog backup Bilbo - Martyn does but at least all my website stuff is one my computer
DeleteHmm, I wonder what triggered the shut down, I wish it was possible to contact Google, I have a loooong list of things I would like to ask them! The only way I have found out to contact them is to fill in their feedback form, but you don't get a reply there.
ReplyDeleteGood you are back online! I would also have been very reluctant to give away my mobile phone number, I never give it out online, only a handful of people knows it and I don't intend to give it to Google. But it’s great you wrote about this, in case it happens to any of us, then we can be prepared for it.
I don't use my mobile much Helene and it is pay as you go so I preferred to give that number rather than my landline. Other than that I didn't have much choice. As you say Google isn't really contactable but I guess being free I do wonder naively perhaps how they make money from Blogger?
DeleteI could not access your posts on 2nd and 3rd of March. I received them via mail, though, but without the photos. I thought there was a glitch in the ether. Glad you're back!
ReplyDeleteHope things are working OK now Miss Bougie and thanks for commenting
DeleteThanks for letting us know Sue,like you and others I am very wary about giving details on line.
ReplyDeleteI did think hard before following the instructions but in the end I had no choice flowerlady
DeleteThanks for letting us know. It is so difficult to know who to trust now when it comes to these messages. I'm going to 'pin' your answer in case I ever have to use it. Take care. Chel x
ReplyDeleteIt is Chel - so much rubbish comes in emails etc that I just avoid responding if I can,
DeleteSo much hard work goes into the blogs we write and it would be terrible to lose it. Glad you sorted it. I wonder why it happened?
ReplyDeleteIt would njgf or is it Lisa?
DeleteNot fun. Can you back up your blog with blogger? I can't remember. Must leave you feeling rather unsettled.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure Janet but I'm going to look into it. Martyn copies his as he writes it into a website application. I have all my website saved on my computer
DeleteAs you can see - you would have been sorely missed!! Glad you got it back nice and quick and thanks for the post. Forewarned is forearmed
ReplyDeleteThat's good to know Belinda. I thought if anything good could come of it everyone could learn from my experience!
DeleteThat sounds a nightmare, so glad you were back up again so quickly and good to know what happened in case it happens to us all.
ReplyDeleteI hope it doesn't happen to you Annie - it's a bit of a shock at first
DeleteI got an e-mail yesterday asking to confirm my phone number saying they would text if there was any unusual activity, so seems like there's some security thing going on! xx
ReplyDeleteI wonder what they are up to, Debbie. The message did say in future they would text me too with info of unusual activity. I wonder if all the spamming has something to do with it.
DeleteScary business Sue....all that work and time we put into our blogs it would be a shame to lose it. Thanks for letting me know, at least I won't have a major panic moment now if it ever happens to me. Did you ever get to the bottom of why it happened??
ReplyDeleteNo I didn't Tanya, I usually panic after I can't figure out what to do so was concerned but not frantic. I wanted to share as I know I won't be the only one that it happens to.
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