Locked out of institutional account – need help with recovery

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  koppenk · Member · May 30, 2026 at 8:56 pm

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  Hello WordPress.com Support,

  we are locked out of an old WordPress.com site belonging to an institutional academic working group.

  We know the username and password, but after entering them WordPress.com requires a two-step authentication code. The code is sent to an old institutional email address that is no longer accessible and appears no longer to exist. We have contacted three previous generations of AKM members, but no one has access to the address.
  The standard Account Recovery form does not work for us for this reason, because it requires a transaction ID, activation URL/key, or 2FA code. The site appears to be an old free WordPress.com site, so we likely do not have a transaction ID, and the original activation email may no longer exist.

  I can provide the handover e-mail from March 2023 as well as non-public evidence of institutional authorization by our national head organization, internal protocols, and confirmation through official institutional email addresses.
  
  Could you please advise how we can verify institutional ownership and transfer two-step authentication control or administrative access for the site to a current member of our working group?
  Because this concerns an institutional site and potential account-security details, I would prefer not to post the site URL or username publicly. Could WordPress.com Staff please advise whether there is a private way to escalate this 2FA lockout / institutional continuity case?
  
  We understand the need to protect accounts from unauthorized access and we are not asking you to disclose the old email address connected to the account. We are asking for a way to verify institutional continuity and authorization to restore access to our website because we cannot leave it unattended.
  
  Sincerely,
  Yasmin

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  drewnegron · Member · May 31, 2026 at 3:41 am

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  Hi Yasmin! This is a well-documented and reasonable request. Since this involves institutional continuity and sensitive account details, here’s the best way to handle this privately:

  1. Contact WordPress.com support directly at wordpress.com/help/contact — in your message specifically request a private escalation for an institutional account recovery case. Explain that you have documentation including the March 2023 handover email and official institutional authorization letters.
  2. You can also reach Automattic’s privacy and legal team at automattic.com/contact for sensitive account matters that require private handling outside of public forums.
  3. When you contact support have the following ready:

  • The March 2023 handover email
  • Official institutional authorization documentation
  • Confirmation through official institutional email addresses
  • Any other non-public evidence of ownership

  1. Specifically ask for their Trust & Safety or Account Security team as they handle institutional and sensitive account recovery cases.

  Your documentation sounds strong and this is exactly the type of case WordPress.com staff can help with through private channels. The public forums aren’t the right place for this type of sensitive request and staff will be better equipped to handle it securely.

  Good luck and I hope you get access restored soon!