CONNECT account keeps locking every few days - someone changed my payment info! (DEO security issue?)
Is anyone else's DEO account getting locked constantly? I'm losing my mind here! In the past 10 days, my CONNECT account has been locked FOUR separate times. I've gone through the whole unlock process each time (calling, verifying identity, etc.) only to find it locked again a day or two later. The worst part? Last Tuesday I logged in and discovered someone had actually hacked in and changed my payment method to their bank account! I caught it before any payments went out and switched it back, but now I'm paranoid about checking daily. The DEO rep I talked to yesterday just shrugged it off saying it's probably "suspicious login activity" triggering automatic locks, but something feels off about this. How is someone changing my payment info if the account keeps locking for security? Anyone dealing with similar issues or know how to permanently fix this? I can't keep taking time off work to deal with getting my account unlocked every other day.
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Yuki Tanaka
This is definitely not normal and sounds like a serious security issue. I had something similar happen last month - my account locked twice in one week, but nobody changed my payment info. Here's what worked for me: 1. Change your PIN to something completely unrelated to any other passwords/numbers you use 2. Log in ONLY from one device (preferably a computer, not phone) 3. Contact DEO's fraud department directly at 1-800-342-9909 to report the payment method change 4. Request they add extra security notes to your account 5. Ask them to verify all your contact info is correct (sometimes hackers change email/phone too) The regular customer service reps often can't help with security flags on accounts. You need to specifically request a fraud department review.
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CaptainAwesome
•Thank you for this! I never even knew there was a separate fraud department number. I'll definitely call them tomorrow. I have been logging in from both my phone and laptop, so maybe that's part of the problem? The weird thing is I DID change my PIN after the first lockout, and it still kept happening. Did you have to keep calling that number or did one call fix everything?
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Esmeralda Gómez
SAME EXACT THING happened to me!!! my account has been locked 6 times in the past 3 weeks and its a NIGHTMARE trying to get through to someone who can fix it. whats worse is that the stupid ID.me verification takes like an hour everytime and half the time it doesn't even work right. i havent had anyone change my payment info (yet) but now im paranoid about checking. this is so frustrating, the DEO system is completely broken. did anyone actually give you a reason WHY this keeps happening?
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CaptainAwesome
•No real explanation! Just vague mentions of "security protocols" and "suspicious login patterns" whatever that means. I'm getting different answers from every rep I talk to. And yes, the ID.me verification is THE WORST. Last time it kept saying my driver's license was invalid even though it's not expired. Had to do the video chat verification which took forever. I'm seriously considering filing a complaint with someone higher up because this can't be normal.
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Klaus Schmidt
Have you tried using Claimyr to reach a DEO agent more quickly? I was dealing with account locks for weeks and wasting hours on hold. A friend recommended Claimyr (claimyr.com) and they got me connected to a DEO agent in about 20 minutes instead of spending all day calling and getting disconnected. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/UzW_hbUy-ss?si=zORd51jeq1GX5Ldj When I finally got through, I explained the repeated account locks and they transferred me to their security team who put a special note on my account. Haven't had a lockout since then (it's been about 3 weeks). For the payment method change, definitely mention that first thing - that's a big red flag that needs immediate attention.
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Aisha Patel
•Does that Claimyr thing actually work? I've been trying to reach DEO for 2 days straight and keep getting disconnected after waiting on hold for like an hour. Seems kinda sketchy to pay for something the govt should be providing for free...
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Klaus Schmidt
•@profile7 Yeah it worked for me. I was skeptical too but after trying to call for three days straight and getting nowhere, I was desperate. The way it works is they basically navigate the phone tree for you and wait on hold, then call you when they have an agent. Saved me hours of frustration. I get what you're saying about paying for a government service, but it was worth it to finally get my issue resolved. My mental health couldn't take any more of those automated disconnects after waiting on hold forever.
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LilMama23
This is 100% a hacking attempt. The reason your account keeps locking is probably because someone is trying to break in, failing the password attempt limit, which causes the automatic lock. Then YOU unlock it, and they try again. I work in IT and saw exact same pattern with my brother's claim last year. Here's what DEO security team told us to do: - Change BOTH your CONNECT PIN and your ID.me password - Make sure your email account has 2-factor authentication enabled - Call 1-833-FL-APPLY (352-7759) and specifically ask for the FRAUD department - Tell them someone changed your payment info and request a "security profile review" - Ask them to note that your account needs manual review before any payment method changes After we did this, they actually found the specific IP addresses that were attempting to access his account (was from somewhere overseas). They put extra security on his account and the lockouts stopped.
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CaptainAwesome
•This is super helpful! You're probably right that someone is deliberately trying to get in rather than it being a system glitch. I'm going to try all of these steps tomorrow. Do you know if the DEO security team works weekends? I'm worried about waiting until Monday if someone is actively trying to hack my account.
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LilMama23
•Unfortunately the fraud department is only open Monday-Friday 7:30am-4:00pm. But definitely enable 2-factor on your email right away, and change any passwords. If you use the same password for other sites, change those too. The good news is that if your account is locked, the hackers can't get in either. So in a weird way, the locks are actually protecting you until you can get the fraud team to add extra security.
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Dmitri Volkov
My cousins roomate had his account hacked three times last year someone in Miami kept getting in and changing the payment info!!! DEO is a joke with security tbh. He had to file a police report and everything before they would take it seriously. Make sure u document EVERYTHING and get the names of everyone u talk to because they will try to blame u for it
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Esmeralda Gómez
•a police report?? are you kidding me?? this system is such a disaster. do you know if your cousin's roommate ever got it fully resolved or did they just give up? i'm about ready to throw in the towel myself
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Gabrielle Dubois
I don't know about account locking but I had payment info issues where it kept rejecting my direct deposit info. I ended up having to switch to the Way2Go debit card option because at least that way nobody can redirect the money. Have you tried switching to the card instead of direct deposit? Might be more secure until they figure out whatever's happening with your account.
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CaptainAwesome
•That's actually a really good idea! I didn't even think about switching to the Way2Go card. At least then I would know the money is going to a card in my name that gets mailed to my address. Thanks for the suggestion - I'll ask about this when I call tomorrow.
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Yuki Tanaka
Just wanted to follow up - were you able to get this resolved? I'm curious if any of our suggestions helped. I've been seeing more posts about account locks lately and wonder if DEO is having a system-wide security issue they're not telling us about.
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CaptainAwesome
•Yes! Finally got it fixed yesterday. Called the fraud department number that was suggested and they were actually super helpful. Turns out someone from Texas had been trying to access my account (they could see the login attempts). They put a special security flag on my account that requires additional verification for any changes and also helped me set up the Way2Go card instead of direct deposit. They also recommended filing an identity theft report at IdentityTheft.gov which I did. So far so good - no more lockouts in the last 48 hours! Thanks everyone for all your help with this!
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Max Knight
Wow, this is really concerning! I'm glad you got it resolved but it's scary that this is happening to so many people. I've been having some weird issues with my CONNECT account too - not lockouts but sometimes when I log in it says my last login was at a time I wasn't even online. Now I'm wondering if someone has been trying to access mine too. For anyone else dealing with this, it sounds like the key steps are: 1. Call the fraud department at 1-800-342-9909 (not regular customer service) 2. File the identity theft report at IdentityTheft.gov 3. Consider switching to Way2Go card instead of direct deposit 4. Enable 2-factor authentication on your email I'm definitely going to be more vigilant about checking my account now. Thanks for sharing your experience and glad it worked out!
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Ravi Sharma
•This is really helpful to see all the steps laid out clearly! I just joined this community because I've been having some strange issues with my account too - nothing as severe as what the original poster went through, but my account has been locked twice in the past month with no explanation. After reading all these responses, I'm definitely going to be more proactive about security. Question for anyone who's dealt with this - should I call the fraud department even if nobody has actually changed my payment info yet? I want to get ahead of this before it becomes a bigger problem. Also, has anyone had issues with the Way2Go card or is it pretty reliable once you switch over? Thanks for sharing all this information - it's scary to think how many people might be dealing with this without realizing it's not just a "system glitch"!
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