How to change my Apple ID, if the previous one was compromised?

When I created my Apple ID many years ago, I was asked to link to an email address. I could always log in using either. Today I received an email using my Apple ID that is threatening to "expose me". It was in the junk folder so I guess Apple has already filtered that. But still it is shocking and scary and I feel my Apple ID has been compromised. Now, I have changed my link email address twice already. When I looked at the list of my email addresses, the one that has @icloud.com is called an alias. But now it seems I cannot change it - because it's the primary address? I do not anymore feel safe using this ID. Short of creating another one (and losing everything associated with this ID?), can somebody please tell me if this is really impossible or is there another way I can remove that address and get another one? Thank you!


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iPhone 7 Plus, iOS 15

Posted on Jun 4, 2024 10:13 PM

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Posted on Jun 5, 2024 4:42 AM

As stated elsewhere it is almost certainly a scam message.


As for the iCloud address, a primary address is not an alias. The first one you set up cannot be changed, but you can set up to 3 aliases which can be. Read: Add and manage email aliases for iCloud Mail on iCloud.com - Apple Support - "An email alias is an email address that conceals your actual email address from a recipient. An alias can help you manage the email you receive, and monitor the sources of unwanted messages. You can both send and receive email from an email alias using Mail on iCloud.com.


By the way, if you are using an iCloud address as your Apple ID that is a bad idea. Should you have problems logging into your account Apple will try to send you help emails to your Apple ID address, but if that's an iCloud address you won't be able to read them.


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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Jun 5, 2024 4:42 AM in response to _gat_70

As stated elsewhere it is almost certainly a scam message.


As for the iCloud address, a primary address is not an alias. The first one you set up cannot be changed, but you can set up to 3 aliases which can be. Read: Add and manage email aliases for iCloud Mail on iCloud.com - Apple Support - "An email alias is an email address that conceals your actual email address from a recipient. An alias can help you manage the email you receive, and monitor the sources of unwanted messages. You can both send and receive email from an email alias using Mail on iCloud.com.


By the way, if you are using an iCloud address as your Apple ID that is a bad idea. Should you have problems logging into your account Apple will try to send you help emails to your Apple ID address, but if that's an iCloud address you won't be able to read them.


Jun 12, 2024 6:30 AM in response to _gat_70

An address can't be "hacked" (people love over-using and misusing that term -- thank you Hollywood). Accounts can be compromised. That is more a matter of somebody knowing your password than your address. Frankly my "Apple ID" (= an email address) has been out on the web for decades. It's no big secret. But you need my password to get into my account. So somebody had your password too.


Your iCloud email address is a separate service Apple offers. As I may have said before, it is not a good idea to use your iCloud address for your Apple ID. Not so much for security reasons as because if you have problems with your account and Apple sends you emails to that account to help you, you won't be able to read those emails.


If you are having problems with spam (I don't use iCloud email at all and don't even have one set up) then look into setting up rules. Report and reduce spam in iCloud Mail - Apple Support




Jun 12, 2024 5:43 AM in response to Limnos

ThankYou Limnos. No, I use a different email to sign in. But that's what makes it kinda weird for me. That the email I use to sign in can be changed and is apparently NOT my primary email address and that the @icloud.com address which I don't use to sign in is my primary email address. Anyway, I guess it makes sense to have another email as sign in address for recovery purposes. I just wish I could change that @icloud.com address because it keeps getting scam and phishing mails, and there was an incident when my Apple account using that address was hacked to make purchases at Apple Store. That is why I want that @icloud.com address changed.

Thanks again.

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How to change my Apple ID, if the previous one was compromised?

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