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Someone using my email address?

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  • 29-11-2011 12:52am
    #1
    Trotter
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,362 ✭✭✭


    Over the past year Ive been receiving emails every month or so directed to a person with the same name as me living in the states. Most of them are shopping/ticket order confirmations and the odd one or two are personal emails to this person, usually of a business nature.

    Some of the ticket orders have the home address on them of the person.

    Is it possible that someone is doing something odd with my mail address? (gmail) or is it a case that they're forgetting a dot or hyphen every so often? They can't be sending mail from my address because it'd appear in the sent items. It seems they just give people my address or else use my address from time to time when ordering things.

    I've changed my account password regularly enough. Is it anything to be concerned about? I can't email him because it's my address! I could visit alright seen as through the wonders of iPhones and maps, 2 clicks on the home address takes me to a street view of the front door!

    It's all a bit weird..


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    #2
    the_syco
    Registered Users Posts: 37,295 ✭✭✭✭the_syco


    Trotter wrote: »
    Is it possible that someone is doing something odd with my mail address? (gmail) or is it a case that they're forgetting a dot or hyphen every so often?
    If it's gmail, if you have your.name@gmail.com gmail won't allow someone to get yourname@gmail.com

    Google the address, such as: 22 Moon Manor "gmail.com"
    and see if you get the email address?


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    #3
    Trotter
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,362 ✭✭✭Trotter


    Tried that.. Nothing there. I don't understand why this guy thinks he can access the address because he clearly never reads any of the orders. I suspect he might think the version of my address with the dot is some second address of his that he can use to order stuff. You'd think he'd twig that he never gets an order confirmation.

    I'm making the assumption that I'm the only one can access my account.


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    #4
    900913
    Registered Users Posts: 367 ✭✭900913


    Gmail doesn't count the dot as a character.
    on gmail u.s.e.r.n.a.m.e.@gmail.com is the same as username@gmail.com


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    #5
    Trotter
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,362 ✭✭✭Trotter


    900913 wrote: »
    Gmail doesn't count the dot as a character.
    on gmail u.s.e.r.n.a.m.e.@gmail.com is the same as username@gmail.com

    I understand that yeah, and I suspect the person is using the dot version of my address, thinking its his own..

    How though is the question given that they'll never be able to read the mail seen as I have and change the password.


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    #6
    whydoibother?
    Closed Accounts Posts: 758 ✭✭✭whydoibother?


    Could it be a scam?

    I got a few emails from an "attorney" in the US asking me to get in touch because some long lost relative had died and wanted to leave me money. A quick google of the senders name revealed it was a common scam.


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    #7
    Trotter
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,362 ✭✭✭Trotter


    I dont think its a scam.. but I could be wrong.

    The latest mails have been automated ones from a ticket company in the states confirming his ticket purchase and home address, and another one from a well known shop confirming an online order, again showing the name and home address.


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    #8
    gerryk
    Registered Users Posts: 1,726 ✭✭✭gerryk


    I get this a bit too. My gmail address is short and probably quite common (same as this account). There are a couple of people that seem to use it regularly... one booked a hotel room recently and used my email as the contact. The hotel booking system just used the booking ref. as authentication, so I was able to enter the booking system and could have made changes. Believe me, the temptation to add another couple of nights was huge!
    Another bloke signed up to a file upload site with my address... so I quickly signed in and changed the password.
    A certain 'online magazine' here in Ireland allows signing up to their spam(mailing) list without verifying the ownership of the email address. Turns out, some muck savage signed my address up to a bunch of stuff, so I emailed the 'magazine' to get myself removed, and get a response as to why they weren't verifying email addresses. So, one call to the dept. of consumer affairs later... apparently they are getting a smack for not observing data protection regs.

    If you have this bloke's name and address... call him up and bollock him for being a moron.


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    #9
    Trotter
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,362 ✭✭✭Trotter


    He's in the States so I might send a Christmas card with 'Happy Christmas.. Get your own email address! From my address at gmail.com'


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