How to remove the account from being marked？I don't have a mobile phone number outside China

[whdstc]

🏷️ Discussion Type

Question

💬 Feature/Topic Area

Other

Body

My account has been flagged and requires a phone number for verification, but it does not support Chinese phone numbers, and I do not have any non-Chinese phone numbers. How can I remove the flagged status from my account?
Additionally, this account was registered a long time ago, and I had forgotten I owned it. Another account I registered later encountered a similar situation. It was registered with a Gmail address and bound to my educational email address. I am currently a graduate student. A few days ago, I wanted to apply for GitHub Student Benefits, which required verification with a student ID card. I did not have my student ID with me at that time, so I did not complete the verification. When I checked today, I found that this account has been suspended and I cannot log in.
I intended to use this account to send an email to GitHub Support to request lifting the suspension on my other account, only to find that this account has also been flagged and I cannot send messages to GitHub Contact. How can I resolve these issues?

[sauravhathi]

Same issue i'm also facing today i created a ticket let's see.

you can check https://github.com/orgs/community/discussions/188191#discussioncomment-16481956 may help you.

[sauravhathi]

https://github.com/orgs/community/discussions/186404

https://www.reddit.com/r/github/comments/1fv8pgp/need_help_my_github_profile_is_not_accessible/

[pauldev-hub]

Hi @whdstc ,

Hey! You're dealing with two separate issues. Here's exactly how to handle both.

Issue 1 — Flagged account, can't verify with Chinese phone number
The +86 SMS block is a known regional restriction.

Here's how to bypass it:

Option A — Use the no-login support form (best option)

Go directly to:
👉 https://support.github.com/contact/cannot_sign_in

This path sometimes triggers an email verification fallback instead of SMS, bypassing the phone check. (GitHub) In the message clearly state:

Your GitHub username
That you cannot complete SMS verification because +86 is not supported
That you have not violated any Terms of Service

Option B — Use the unauthenticated account access form
👉 https://support.github.com/contact/account-access

This form doesn't require you to be logged in and lets you appeal without SMS.

Option C — Ask a friend abroad
If you know someone with a non-Chinese number (friend, colleague, or family abroad), use their number just to complete the one-time verification step. (GitHub)

Issue 2 — Suspended account (the newer one)

Your second account was likely auto-suspended because the incomplete Student Benefits verification triggered an automated flag. This is a known pattern.
GitHub Support is the only team who can review and reinstate suspended accounts. (GitHub) Do this:
Email support@github.com from the Gmail address linked to that account

Include: your GitHub username, your student ID or enrollment letter, and explain the suspension happened mid-verification

Do not submit multiple tickets — sending repeated requests can actually delay the process. Reply to your existing thread with additional info instead. (GitHub)

Important — Don't create more new accounts
Creating additional accounts while suspended can make things worse and may flag those too.

👍 If this helped you, please mark it as the answer — it helps others in the community who run into the same issue find the solution faster!

[shinybrightstar]

Hi @whdstc,

If GitHub doesn’t support 2FA via text message in your country, you’ll need to set up authentication using a TOTP application. For more information on configuring 2FA with a TOTP app, here is the documentation. Also, after setting up your 2FA, download your recovery codes and store them in a secure location.

I highly recommend you read through our GitHub 2FA Troubleshooting & Prevention Guide 🔐 or visit our FAQ if you have additional questions.

For account related issues, GitHub Support requires that you contact them from the email address verified on that account. If you haven't already, please submit a request using this form:  https://support.github.com/contact/cannot_sign_in

When completing this step, you won't be required to sign in, but you will need to verify your email address. If you're currently signed into a different account, please sign out first before following the link.

This is a public forum, and the community is unable to assist with nor escalate your ticket, but we can assure you it is in the right place. It will be answered in the order it was received based on our team's resources and the amount of tickets ahead of yours.

As no other Community Discussions team members will be able to provide additional help with account related questions I am going to close this discussion. We appreciate your understanding and patience while Support works through your request!