I have a firstname.lastname[at]gmail.com email address.
Every single week I get a different person’s legitimate email because they forget their email is firstname.lastname12345[at]gmail.com or some other number, and sign me up for stuff…
I get bank statements, rent notices, holiday bookings, xbox live accounts, kayak club membership emails, pizza delivery receipts, Amazon.com accounts and purchases…
You name it…
XKCD calls it “Reverse ID Theft” - I call it “Identity Donation”: it’s like people think: “here… Be me for a bit… See how you like it…”
Hah. I have a first initial + last name Gmail address. I occasionally get an email meant for somebody else, but one time I got an email about “plans for the wedding” and it was an itinerary for the bridal party etc. I had to respond to that one and be like “Hey you have the wrong email address”
I could have messed with them. Or shown up for the wedding or whatever, but I didn’t want to ruin somebody’s special day. It wasn’t the fun thing to do, but it was the right thing to do.
I have a firstname.lastname[at]gmail.com email address.
Every single week I get a different person’s legitimate email because they forget their email is firstname.lastname12345[at]gmail.com or some other number, and sign me up for stuff…
I get bank statements, rent notices, holiday bookings, xbox live accounts, kayak club membership emails, pizza delivery receipts, Amazon.com accounts and purchases…
You name it…
XKCD calls it “Reverse ID Theft” - I call it “Identity Donation”: it’s like people think: “here… Be me for a bit… See how you like it…”
https://xkcd.com/1279/
Well that XKCD comic nailed it. There is a doctor in another state with my name and occasionally patients send me their prescription questions.
I also had to specifically ask a lady with a similar phone number to stop giving mine out.
Hah. I have a first initial + last name Gmail address. I occasionally get an email meant for somebody else, but one time I got an email about “plans for the wedding” and it was an itinerary for the bridal party etc. I had to respond to that one and be like “Hey you have the wrong email address”
I could have messed with them. Or shown up for the wedding or whatever, but I didn’t want to ruin somebody’s special day. It wasn’t the fun thing to do, but it was the right thing to do.