I am unable to change or delete my iCloud ID, it is prompting sign in using an old email address that used to be my Apple ID, others have had this same problem but the answer seems to be to delete the iCloud account but I can't do that.

Welcome to the Apple community.

This feature has been introduced to make stolen phones useless to those that have stolen them.

However it can also arise when the user has changed their Apple ID details with Apple and not made the same changes to their iCloud account/Find My Phone on their device before upgrading to iOS 7.

The only solution is to change your Apple ID back to its previous state with Apple at My Apple ID, verify the changes, enter the password as requested on your device and then turn off "find my phone".

You should then change your Apple ID back to its current state, verify it once again, delete the iCloud account from your device and then log back in using your current Apple ID. Finally, turn "find my phone" back on once again.

This article provides more information about Activation Lock.

Thanks for the info about it happening from an old back up, I'll add that to my help from now on.

thanks for the help. I have been suffering with this for a while until I came across your post.

I can't remember my password to delet an old I cloud account

I have made the change to the old account name, but "Find my phone" won't accept the password. I have to close that before I can delete. The password works on "manage my apple id" but not to delete my icloud account. Suggestions?

I have the very same problem. I mistakenly restored my iphone from an old backup, it somehow logged itself under an old non-existant AppleID. The iTunes is signed in under my good AppleID but the iCloud is signed in under the non-existant AppleID. How does that happen?? Now I am not able to sign in or out. I tried going into My AppleID and changing the AppleID to the old non-existant AppleID so that I might be able to go in and sign out. BUT it is not working because as I am unable to verify. It is an OLD email address that no longer exists, which is the reason I am having this problem in the first place. I am beyond frustrated and quite angry with Apple! I totally understand that you need to have security measures in place to protect from theft or whatever..... but you clearly have the IMEI number to prove the device is not stolen AND the AppleID I am trying sign out of is clearly not an existing AppleID. You have everything you need right there in order to determine if this phone is stolen or not. Is this the reason after numerous calls to Apple Support that I have not received the customer service I'm requesting?? Why is it that I have spend HOURS on the phone with Apple Support with no solution in the end???? I have always been a huge supporter of Apple products, but now I'm so angry and frustrated I don't know if I ever want to deal with Apple again. I have a family and job I need to tend to, and wasting hours and hours troubleshooting a product that I purchased to make life easier is not acceptable!!

Amber001, Did you ever get this resolved?