Don't have access to root users email id

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Hi, I have a startup where I created an AWS account with my co-founder's email address (yes, we had our domain). That co-founder left last December so we deleted his account. Now we are trying to log in to the root account, we have restored the email id but we are not able to receive the AWS verification code email. Can I recover that account?

Note this is not MFA

1 Answer
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If the account is still active, or it was deleted fewer than 90 days ago, then you should still be able to recover access to the account.

if the co-founder deleted the account on leaving the organisation last December then the account is gone for good https://repost.aws/knowledge-center/reopen-aws-account

If the account is still active, it appears that your scenario is described in the section I don't have access to the email for my AWS account of https://docs.aws.amazon.com/IAM/latest/UserGuide/troubleshooting_root-user.html

And it sounds like you have already done what is suggested here:

If you own the domain for the email address, you can restore a deleted email address.

If you're not receiving the email then is it possible a different address was used? Can you try this?

Alternatively, you can set up a catch-all for your email account. A catch-all collects all messages sent to email addresses that no longer exist in the mail server and redirects them to another email address.

It's possible that other email addresses are associated with the account - for billing, operations, and security - are any emails being received from AWS on any other email addresses (thinking of e.g. invoices)?

Also, might your ex-colleague have used the trick of putting a '+' in the email address (if your domain supports this)? For some domains (e.g. GMail) myaddress+amazon and myaddress+aws and myaddress+cloud will be separate AWS logins, but emails sent to all of them will be delivered to the mailbox for myaddress ?

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answered 8 months ago
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reviewed 8 months ago
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reviewed 8 months ago
  • I verified that this is the same email ID.

  • Was the account closed when your colleague left the organisation, or does the account still exist?

    if you are being billed (and paying the bill) every month then it obviously must exist. Is an invoice being received every month, and to what email address is that invoice being sent?

    It may be worth your while logging a billing support case https://docs.aws.amazon.com/awsaccountbilling/latest/aboutv2/billing-get-answers.html#billing-support

    Be prepared to provide the email address associated with the billing contact, the billing method (since the bill must still be being paid) and the account number (this will be on the invoice), and anything else that may help to prove that your organisation still administers this account.

    [ please do not post and company or personal details here in your reply]

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