15 Easy Fixes for Your OpenAI Account Was Flagged for Potential Abuse

TLDR

1. Ensure you are in a supported region or country by using a VPN.
2. Take a short break and sign up again later if you repeatedly encounter the error.
3. Use a VPN to access ChatGPT from a different IP address.
4. Change your phone number if you encounter signup issues.
5. Deactivate or remove DNS settings that may be causing the problem.
6. Contact ChatGPT support for assistance.
7. Ask OpenAI support to whitelist your flagged IP address.
8. Clear cookies
9. Use different hardware (e.g., Apple Tablet vs Windows PC)
10. Use different software (e.g., Chrome vs Firefox)
11. Switch off your VPN
12. Don’t use “premium” mobile phone numbers
13. Try to be a truthful and trustworthy user after all
14. Use the “Sign Up With Google” feature
15. If nothing works, consider free and open-source ChatGPT alternatives

Some users reportedly fixed it using the “Check In With Google” feature!

The Problem

Encountering an error message like “Your Account Was Flagged For Potential Abuse” can be frustrating when using ChatGPT, OpenAI’s powerful language model.

Reasons Behind the Error Message: The error message typically appears when your account has been flagged for potential abuse. Possible reasons for this can include spamming, harassment, or the use of inappropriate language.

Depending on the severity of the violation, your account’s access to certain features may be temporarily limited, suspended, or even disabled entirely.

However, if you believe this flagging is an error and you have not engaged in any abusive activities, contacting ChatGPT support is essential to resolve the issue promptly.

Solution 1: Ensure you are in a supported region or country

If you are in a region or country where OpenAI’s services are not supported, such as Italy due to a recent ban, accessing ChatGPT can be challenging. Here’s an updated list of supported countries.

To overcome this, use a VPN (Virtual Private Network) to connect from a supported region or country. By selecting a different server location, you can access ChatGPT without any hindrances.

• Check the list of supported countries and territories on the OpenAI website.
• Some supported countries may still have local blocking or suspension of OpenAI services.
• Use a reliable VPN service if your country is blocked or suspended. American and Western European VPNs are often effective.
• Certain anti-virus software may use VPNs, so check and disable them if necessary.
• Ensure your browser is updated, as older versions may not be accepted.
• Clear cache and cookies, as cookies can hold previous “abusive” login information.
• National security organizations scrutinize this technology, making access challenging.

Solution 2: Take a short break and sign up again later

If you repeatedly encounter the error message when attempting to sign up for ChatGPT, it is likely that your account has been flagged due to suspicious behavior.

Instead of persistently trying to sign up, take a short break and come back later.

This allows the system to review any suspicious activities and ensure the security of your account. After a break, attempting to sign up again increases the chances of success, particularly if the issue was a temporary bug on OpenAI’s side.

Solution 3: Use a VPN to access from a different IP address

If you are facing issues with ChatGPT, it is possible that the problem is related to your account’s IP address. Changing your IP address can help resolve this.

You can achieve this by using a VPN service, which provides a new IP address by connecting to a different server.

Alternatively, you can try restarting your internet router or modem to obtain a new IP address. Contacting your Internet Service Provider (ISP) to request a new IP address is also an option.

Solution 4: Change your phone number

In some cases, online platforms use phone numbers as a security measure, limiting one account per phone number.

If you encounter signup problems, it may be because your phone number is already linked to another account on the same platform. To resolve this, try using a different phone number when signing up for a new account.

You should also make sure to verify your phone number in the beginning:

Solution 5: Deactivate or remove DNS settings

Private or paid DNS settings can sometimes cause signup issues with ChatGPT, as some websites may not be compatible with them.

To troubleshoot this, disable or remove any DNS settings on your system. This can be done by accessing the Command Prompt, typing ipconfig /flushdns, and pressing Enter.

Solution 6: Contact ChatGPT support

If you are still experiencing issues with your ChatGPT account, contacting their support team is recommended. Compose a detailed email to support@openai.com, explaining the problem and attach relevant screenshots of error messages or warnings.

Contacting them from the email address associated with your ChatGPT account aids in swift identification and troubleshooting.

You can also post your support request to the forum and hope for resolution – sometimes this will indeed work! 👇

Solution 7: Ask OpenAI support to whitelist your IP address

If your IP address has been flagged as suspicious, contacting OpenAI support and requesting to have your IP address whitelisted can be a viable solution.

Provide your IP address in the email and explain the issue you are facing. By taking these steps, you can bring the issue to OpenAI’s attention and request a resolution.

Again, if this doesn’t work or if you don’t want to contact support, try set up a new account and use “Continue with Google” as a signup method:

If it still doesn’t work consider that some commonalities on specific Hardware/Software combinations have been reported where this issue is flagged more often:

• Anecdotal research indicates similarities in hardware, software, connection configuration, email domain, ISP domain, and VPN domain when encountering the “flagged for potential abuse” issue.
• The Supported Countries List may impact beyond the user’s current location, potentially affecting cell phone makers and connection configurations involving non-supported countries.
• The sensitive nature of the technology under scrutiny by security organizations requires full identification from users and their access platforms.
• For users in supported countries but experiencing account flagging, it is suggested to create or access the account using a clean computer with basic software and a non-VPN WiFi network.
• Trying riskier forms of access may result in account flagging.
• For credit card issues, trying a free OpenAI account before a paid one is recommended, as some credit cards in certain regions may not be accepted.

So try a new hardware and software stack. Try Apple if you tried Windows before, for example. Try another credit card with a plain and simple VPN-free network. Try using mobile data if you used Wifi before – or switch to a new Wifi if possible. You get the picture.

If nothing works, consider these free and open-source ChatGPT alternatives and take a break from OpenAI for a week or two!

✅ Recommended: 11 Best ChatGPT Alternatives