My friend is trying to share some notes that he has however when entering the link the authentication prompts two numbers that have never been linked with my account. My email comes up on the first screen but in the second to send the link the numbers are not mine and i don't recognize them.
[Re-Titled by Moderator]
Original Title: Unrecognized numbers appear
Seeing unrecognized numbers during an authentication attempt is a significant security red flag, and you should stop immediately. Do not request a verification code or proceed with the login through that specific link. This situation usually stems from one of three scenarios: your account may have been compromised and the security details altered; your browser might be "ghost" logging you into a different account (like a family member's or an old work email) that is cached on the device; or the link itself is a phishing attempt designed to look like a legitimate login screen to steal your credentials.
To address this, your first step should be to manually verify your security settings without using the link your friend sent. Open a new browser tab and navigate directly to the security settings of the service you are using (such as your Google Account or Apple ID page). Look for the "Two-Step Verification" or "Recovery Phone" section. If you see the unknown numbers listed there, your account has been compromised; you must delete them, change your password, and force a sign-out on all devices immediately. However, if your correct numbers appear in these settings, your account is likely safe, and the issue is simply a browser error or a bad link.
If your settings look correct, the next step is to test the link in an isolated environment to rule out browser caching issues. Copy the link your friend sent and open an "Incognito" (Chrome) or "Private" (Safari/Firefox) window. Paste the link there and log in manually. If this works and prompts you with your correct phone number, the problem was simply that your browser was trying to authenticate a different, previously signed-in account. Additionally, you should contact your friend through a separate channel—like a text or phone call—to confirm they actually sent the link. If they did not, or if they claim they sent it to everyone in their contacts, it is almost certainly a phishing scam.
Finally, the solution may depend on the specific platform you are using. For example, Apple Notes often defaults to the Apple ID signed into the device settings rather than the browser, meaning you might be checking the wrong account's security details. Google Drive can easily get confused if multiple accounts are signed in simultaneously, often requiring an Incognito window to force the correct account selection. Similarly, Microsoft or OneNote users need to verify their "Security Info" directly on the Microsoft dashboard.
Seeing unrecognized numbers during an authentication attempt is a significant security red flag, and you should stop immediately. Do not request a verification code or proceed with the login through that specific link. This situation usually stems from one of three scenarios: your account may have been compromised and the security details altered; your browser might be "ghost" logging you into a different account (like a family member's or an old work email) that is cached on the device; or the link itself is a phishing attempt designed to look like a legitimate login screen to steal your credentials.
To address this, your first step should be to manually verify your security settings without using the link your friend sent. Open a new browser tab and navigate directly to the security settings of the service you are using (such as your Google Account or Apple ID page). Look for the "Two-Step Verification" or "Recovery Phone" section. If you see the unknown numbers listed there, your account has been compromised; you must delete them, change your password, and force a sign-out on all devices immediately. However, if your correct numbers appear in these settings, your account is likely safe, and the issue is simply a browser error or a bad link.
If your settings look correct, the next step is to test the link in an isolated environment to rule out browser caching issues. Copy the link your friend sent and open an "Incognito" (Chrome) or "Private" (Safari/Firefox) window. Paste the link there and log in manually. If this works and prompts you with your correct phone number, the problem was simply that your browser was trying to authenticate a different, previously signed-in account. Additionally, you should contact your friend through a separate channel—like a text or phone call—to confirm they actually sent the link. If they did not, or if they claim they sent it to everyone in their contacts, it is almost certainly a phishing scam.
Finally, the solution may depend on the specific platform you are using. For example, Apple Notes often defaults to the Apple ID signed into the device settings rather than the browser, meaning you might be checking the wrong account's security details. Google Drive can easily get confused if multiple accounts are signed in simultaneously, often requiring an Incognito window to force the correct account selection. Similarly, Microsoft or OneNote users need to verify their "Security Info" directly on the Microsoft dashboard.
Unrecognized numbers are appearing during authentication for shared notes
