Hi @winged swan. I'm kapa.ai, your friendly support bot. I will try to answer your question by searching through the knowledge base. :wave:
#Huh?
magic iceBOT
I’m sorry, but the knowledge sources only explain how OpenAI uses or protects IP addresses; they do not explain how “hackers get your IP” in general, so I can’t fully answer that part.
What I can share from the sources:
- OpenAI services (ChatGPT web, iOS, Android) collect your IP address and use it to infer only general location (country / state / city). [iOS app FAQ; Android app FAQ]
- When ChatGPT uses search providers, it may share an approximate location derived from your IP, but not the IP address itself or your account identifiers. [ChatGPT search; Enterprise search]
- Apps you enable in ChatGPT can see typical web metadata such as IP address and approximate location, similar to visiting a website. [Apps in ChatGPT]
If you’re worried about unauthorized access to your OpenAI/ChatGPT account, the sources do say:
- Change your password immediately; this logs out existing sessions within ~30 minutes. [Unrecognized activity]
- Use a strong password and enable multi‑factor authentication (MFA). [Account security]
For how attackers obtain IP addresses in general (outside of OpenAI), the knowledge sources do not provide details, so I can’t reliably explain that part.
Note: you can ask me a follow up question by @ mentioning me again :speech_balloon:
Let me check the knowledge base for you again. One moment! :books:
The knowledge sources don’t show the exact notification you received, so I can’t say for sure whether it’s safe to ignore. I can only summarize what OpenAI’s own security articles recommend.
If the notification is about:
-
Suspicious activity / unusual sign‑in / security alert:
OpenAI recommends you do not ignore it. Instead:- Change your password to a strong, unique one. [Suspicious alert]
- Enable multi‑factor authentication (MFA/2FA). [Account security]
- Log out of all devices/sessions from your security settings. [What to do if you suspect an issue]
-
Warning about your account / usage:
This means your activity may be close to or in violation of policies; it’s not a ban yet, but you should take it seriously, review the email, and adjust your usage. [Account warning] -
Account deactivation:
That means access is already restricted; you should follow the appeal instructions in the email, not ignore it. [Account deactivated]
If you’re unsure whether the notification is really from OpenAI:
- Check that the email is from @openai.com, @c-openai.com, or @mail.openai.com and not another domain. [Verifying communications]
- Don’t click links or give passwords if the sender/domain looks wrong.