Hi All,

I know the 205 error code is a bit maddening, but we're here to explain why it's happening and what you can do to prevent it from occurring. In addition, our internet teams are aware of the problem and working quickly to resolve it.

The culprit?

We are in the age where everything is online and there are those out there taking advantage of that. These bad actors are trying to get into everything and anything like your emails, where this useful information is found. I wish it was something AT&T could control with a switch but at the end of the day, it is a bad actor on the other side of the keyboard. I myself fell victim to this when someone got access to one of my streaming accounts. 

What AT&T is doing

AT&T Security is investigating this and blocking IP addresses of those bad actors who make these login attempts. We also are locking the accounts to protect your email. You may see alert codes like:

• Error code 205.2 - you'll have to wait a full  24 hours before resetting your password. Attempting to sign in before the full 24 hours will reset the 24-hour timer.
• Error code 203.3 or FL002 - you'll have to reach out to our teams directly.

For more information on what you can do, check our What You Can Do section of The Dreaded 205 Error Code. Just scroll down to find it. 

ChrisZ, AT&T Community Specialist 

Good Morning @johngar67, 

Let's help you get into your email. 

There are a few things we can try. First of all, instead of using Yahoo mail portal,  please try using www.att.net to sign in your email. The care code 205.2 actually means that your email is locked out after too many failed attempts and you have to wait 24 hours before trying to sign in again.  Please try clearing the caches and cookie, or try using a different browser after the 24 hours period. If you are unsure of your email password, please click on the link "forgot password" to reset the password.  

If you are using an email client or desktop app, please follow this instruction to set up the secure mail key. 

Please let us know if you continue experiencing issues after tried all these troubleshooting steps. 

Thanks, 

WallaceW, AT&T Community Specialist. 

Been locked out of my desktop email for a month now. 

It prompted for a password change. 

I did it and wham I get the dreaded death code. 

Care Code 205.2 LUC003

I have reset my password multiple times.

Same thing occurs in Edge and Chrome. 

No issues with my iPhone. 

This just outright (Edited per community guidelines). 

Any other suggestions. 

I have tried everything listed on this page. 

We are here to help with your Email sign-in trouble, @Buddha116,

The care code error 205.2 LUC003 is a temporarily lockout. You must wait 24 hours before attempting to sign into the account.

We do see that you listed you were able to login through your iPhone. 

• Are you using an Email client or logging in through the website when using the phone?
• If able to login using another device. The trouble is indicating it lies within the computer itself, and is not the Email.

Software like firewalls, anti-virus, and spyware software can also cause trouble with signing in. 

• This is due to the software believing that the trouble within the website and blocking it.
• If you are able to sign-in using other devices. This is most likely where the trouble lies.

For web browser troubleshooting.

Did you also clear the cache cookies, and saved passwords?

• When clearing your cache and cookies, you want to clear a bit before when you noticed the trouble or "From the beginning of time" or "Forever."

Are your web browsers up to date?

• Sometimes not having the most up to date browser can also cause trouble.

Are there add-ons on your web browser?

• Add-ons have been known to sometimes cause trouble with logins.
  • Try disabling them and see if you are able to login then.

After you have taken these steps. Try waiting 24 hours before resetting your password, and then login.

Let us know if this helps.

Max, AT&T Community Specialist

None of these suggestions work. This is a real problem for many. We need a solution. I’m trying to get a key for Outlook email. I’ve been working on this for over a week. I see in this forum I am not the only one. Waiting 24 hours doesn’t work. Clearing cache and cookies doesn’t work. Tried in multiple browsers. Nothing works. This is absolutely preposterous and Att needs to investigate!!

Hi Att&t im so disheartened by you behavior. I cant login into my account. I have waited days, cleared my cache and called you and have been on hold (over three calls) for 5 hours. Your lack of care or involvement has became very apparent. I need to login into my account or I will need to change carriers. I need access to my account to pay my bills and keep an overview on everything. I really need help with this 250.2 care code problem. Waiting 24 hrs and calling customer service does not work 

I'm also having this problem, but with more information than I've seen in other posts.

Login via currently.att.yahoo.com and att.com fails for 3 different email addresses that include sbcglobal.net giving me a too many failed logins error CARE CODE: 205.2 [LU003].

However, the same 3 email addresses work when using my email client (Thunderbird) and I can send and receive msgs for each.

First found this problem yesterday when I tried web login to clean out spam folders.

1 of the 3 address was changed to use OAuth last week (it also works only via Thunderbird only and gives the same too many failed logins message).  Used the instructions for non-OAuth supported clients last week.  Last week, 1 mailbox failed via Thunderbird, but worked via currently.com and I changed to OAuth on this 1 mailbox which fixed last weeks problem.  This week it only works via Thunderbird. 

Yes, I use the exact same password via the web and from Thunderbird.

The only email where I'm able to login via currently.att.yahoo.com is a currently.com email address with OAuth setup.

Based on my personal experience with this issue, I believe:

• The too many failed logins is misleading, but could at some point be a legit error when people try and fail too many times due to the (Edited per community guidelines) cause issue.  Otherwise, Thunderbird wouldn't work.
• I don't think it will help to use OAuth since 1 of the 3 sbcglobal email addresses already uses it.
• This seems to be something with how the web server authenticates legacy email addresses (sbcglobal.net) vs newer email addresses (currently.com).  It's the only common factor I can see.

Update to my prior message.

1 of the sbcglobal.net email addresses no longer let me access mail via my email client.  Figured I was (Edited per community guidelines), but I was able to login to att.com and setup OAuth: https://www.att.com/support/article/email-support/KM1240462

After which, my email client worked again.

1 big gotcha here though.  I thought what the OAuth instructions generated was a new password, but it only works from my client.  

Found using the OAuth p/w or key failed when trying to login to att.com or currently.com, but my password I initially used to login to att.com still worked.

Was able to login to currently.com using the password also.  The OAuth key is only for email clients.  Wish they had documented the somewhere.

This is still happening to me as well.  I have an open ticket, att has not gotten back to me.  Even waiting 24 hours to see if it would work, I tried again with no success.  I also deleted the email from the yahoo app and tried to create it again, I still am getting LU003, 205.2 error.  I can see access the website to see mail, but I prefer the app on my phone/tablet.  Does anyone else have any ideas?

why do I get this when I try to sign in another account?

9/2/2021

Hello,

Every time I login from several different PCs even after waiting 24 hours, I get "Looks like you’ve tried to sign in unsuccessfully too many times. Recover your ID or reset your password to continue. CARE CODE: 205.2 [LU003]"and when I reset password by way of forgot the PW it send a code to my phone and I reset to a new PW , then my e mail comes back BUT again when I log out and and log back in I get the same error message and again I have reset password Have done this 4-5 times , so what is going on ? Can someone help?

Thank you

I am having the same error - can log in on yahoo.com, but can't login through apple mail app or my phone.

I'm having the same problem. Likely bots are trying to access multiple ATT accounts and after their failed attempts, you are locked out.

This puts you into an endless loop because you need to log into your account to update your account, but you can't because you can't log into your account.

@TryGmail so I got it fixed.... I chatted with customer support and they were great.  They reset my account and sent me a temp password.  It didn't work the first time, but the second time we finally got it to work.  Then I had to delete my account info on my mac and iPhone and reAdd the account info for yahoo.  All of those steps work.  Since my iPhone and Mac are new, all the mail apps are oAuth so no need for a key.  Good luck with your issue - try the support chat offered after failed login - they were great.

I can't login to my sbc account. I get the same code, but if I click "forgot password" it wants me to answer two security questions. This account is about 20 years old so I don't remember the answers and I never wrote them down.  I waited 24 hours before trying again, but I still get that code. Now I don't even know if I have the correct password, I'm so confused. I cleared my browser and updated it.  Please help