Have you ever had your email associated with a new account you didn't create?

Era of not Yakuza · Jul 20, 2020

Lately I have noticed that several people are using my email to create accounts on websites.

Today I tried to create a profile on the Samsung website and I already had someone with a name (similar) and my email.

Over the weekend I found out I had an extra account associated with my email in League of Legends. Another one time there was an strange new account made for a mobile game.

Here in Brazil there is a website dedicated to showing your data as a "consumer", to know if you pay the bills correctly, it is used for credit and loan appraisal. Well, a 70-year-old man appeared as a registered person using my email.

in all this cases I managed to change the password and enter my data without a problem, and that is what surprises me. It doesn't look like they're trying to scam, it looks like someone was too lazy to put their own email.

This reminds me a lot when Orkut was a thing. Users "made" e-mails just to login but never actualy created them. Some people started checking those e-mails used for logins so they could creat and steall accounts with good farms in the game "Colheita Feliz".

SwampBastard · Jul 20, 2020

My primary email address is my first initial and last name @gmail.com. This combination is apparently a somewhat common surname and I get loads of misaddressed emails for people all over the world with the same surname. I have a special label for them in my account. I always reply to the sender with a template I have saved on a text replacement app. I've received "sexy" pictures, family photos, event invitations, sales quotes, sensitive medical information, invoices for taxes due, etc. Someone has their Social Security update information tied to my account, which will probably create a headache for me sometime down the road. It happens a couple times a week.

Laserbeam · Jul 20, 2020

Someone was using my email on an instagram account that had a decent amount of followers and such. I have no idea how that even works because I don't use instagram, but I was able to change the password thanks to my email being listed and then just closed the account. Fuck you, buddy.

I had wondered it it meant my email was somehow compromised as well, but I don't think so. I changed the password at the time just to be sure, but it was pretty weird.

modoversus · Jul 20, 2020

The amount of services and social networks that allow you to register an account without the need to verify it's real it's baffling.

Edit:Also, some like Gmail allows you to insert any amount of periods, which other providers will take as a brand new e-mail account instead of an alias. One time one dude just added one period after each letter, and gmail still took it that it was my e-mail account.

Sectorseven · Jul 20, 2020

Lots of times, when sites get hacked and my address is stolen.

Hollywood Duo · Jul 20, 2020

Pretty much every day

Era of not Yakuza · Jul 20, 2020

snacknuts said:
sensitive medical information, invoices for taxes due,

Oh, I had one too
A group of doctors were arguing fiercely in a long email about professional behavior at work and for some reason they sent me
And a women sent an email saying that she wanted to see my other naked pics. Lmao

Deleted member 4367 · Jul 20, 2020

snacknuts said:
My primary email address is my first initial and last name @gmail.com. This combination is apparently a somewhat common surname and I get loads of misaddressed emails for people all over the world with the same surname. I have a special label for them in my account. I always reply to the sender with a template I have saved on a text replacement app. I've received "sexy" pictures, family photos, event invitations, sales quotes, sensitive medical information, invoices for taxes due, etc. Someone has their Social Security update information tied to my account, which will probably create a headache for me sometime down the road. It happens a couple times a week.

Yep. The downside to being on Gmail early.

louiedog · Jul 20, 2020

All the time because it's my name @gmail. I've received Amazon Gift Cards as graduation gifts (Amazon CS sucks at understanding I want them to return the thing), I get someone's monthly $300 AT&T bill, medical records, family group emails with my last name, etc. The worst is a kid who is constantly signing up for online games and a person who was using it for some sort of scam dating sites for awhile causing lots of men to send me gross messages.

Lmo2017 · Jul 20, 2020

Same here. Most of it appears to go back to some 70 year old guy who probably doesn't have an email and just thinks mine is his.

SunKing · Jul 20, 2020

Yup. Just recently an instagram account. I don't use instagram.

Era of not Yakuza · Jul 20, 2020

snacknuts said:
My primary email address is my first initial and last name @gmail.com.

Yaboosh said:
Yep. The downside to being on Gmail early.

louiedog said:
All the time because it's my name @gmail.

Once my mom sent a e-mail to the wrong person because she put a 'S' at the end, which is how you spell the surname.
They guy was kind enough to reply saying that "Sorry Madam, I'm not your son"
but she didn't read that and fought that I was skipping class
lol

Stinkles · Jul 20, 2020

Frequently. The one I use to sign up for coupons etc. most of it is innocent idiots thinking or mistyping their own address

Dr. Zoidberg · Jul 20, 2020

snacknuts said:
My primary email address is my first initial and last name @gmail.com. This combination is apparently a somewhat common surname and I get loads of misaddressed emails for people all over the world with the same surname.

Yaboosh said:
Yep. The downside to being on Gmail early.

Same except mine is at Outlook.com. I got in early and got first initial+last name and now that account gets all sorts of "Thank you for signing up" emails from all over the world, but especially from the UK and Australia, where my last name must be pretty common. Housing, transportation passes, grocery store loyalty programs, etc. I also have the same account but with a "1" at the end and it almost never gets that stuff. It's amazing the difference adding that digit makes.

jelly · Jul 20, 2020

Yeah, it's annoying but them the breaks with a simple name handle.

It wouldn't be the worse thing if all companies actually requested the accounts valid by activating via the email, they shouldn't be active or sending you anything unless the owner of that email account clicks the activation sign up, too many companies don't apply this.

I gave up on my gmail account, first.last, it was mountains of emails, just not worth it even with filters.

Prophet Steve · Jul 20, 2020

Only some mails for things that need to be returned to a library for a while. They always were different items though so I think it was in active use.

ParanormalFupa · Jul 20, 2020

Yeah some peeps out there got a similar name/email that gets typo'd easily.

roguesquirrel · Jul 20, 2020

nothing fun, but i've occasionally had to remove my email from being associated with magazine subscriptions or in one specific case several australian coupon sites

VG Aficionado · Jul 20, 2020

Funny, but this happened to me today. I tried to "disavow contact" through facebook after I got a notification that I had been added to an unknown group, with no success. Apparently the email is genuine, yet the fact that I never got any notification on signing up to facebook with that account makes it suspicious.

I did check that all the time I was using authentic facebook links. However, facebook is failing to allow me to cancel that ("Sorry, something went wrong" - really useful error message). My email is really registered as a facebook account with two different phone numbers that are completely unfamiliar to me as reset access ways. Has this happened to anybody else here?

Captjohnboyd · Jul 20, 2020

I'm getting loads of cc statements, online shopping receipts and venmo info from someone lately. My address is my first and last name @gmail.com. Seems like they used the same name but added a period in between first and last. There's effectively no way to stop these right?

lunarworks · Jul 20, 2020

Doesn't happen as much when you have your own domain name.

Deleted member 9479 · Jul 20, 2020

Happens all the time. I have a nickname based on my actual last name that's probably pretty common. People fuck up thinking they have [email protected] instead of [email protected]. One lady in particular kept getting me signed up for the dumbest shit and I'd get so pissed. I used to say one day I'm gonna track down Joan and let her have it.

well one day I received an email with aform letter from one of her senators. It had her full return address on it.

after a couple minutes research I discovered she was 85. Felt pretty bad And petty for how angry all those misdirected emails made me, and yes I let it go completely after that.

but I've had so many party invites, legal and financial documents and even nudes intended for significant others. It's crazy.

I've mostly stopped using that email address at this point.

BLEEN · Jul 20, 2020

Every single day.

I have around 10 emails all linked from gmail that are simple words. (spangled@gmail, unique@gmail, refreshments@gmail, lengthwise@gmail, sentence@gmail, etc etc etc.) Got in on the first day of beta and never looked back. I do this with all possibly big, new websites/accounts/apps. Easy money once in a while, even easier to let someone know my email.

Get some funny things. Have also helped a few activate their accounts when it goes to mine lol

Apathy · Jul 20, 2020

So much. Some idiot from Texas has been doing it for years. Finally got his phone number and contacted him and he still does it. I mess with anything I can that he's signed up with just to fuck with him until he finally decides to stop.

This is such a huge issue that sites create accounts without confirmation through email. It's fucking annoying, and apps do this more these days.

StrayDog · Jul 20, 2020

I have an spam mail account only to register in garbage places and it have a very "unique" address qwert@xxxx. So many people use it to create accounts in some very strange places. This mail is linked to soooo many places it is fun to check it just to see the number of password recovery requests LOL

Jedi2016 · Jul 20, 2020

It surprises me how many sites and services don't confirm the email before activating the account.

I think the one I remember most was someone signed up for Netflix somewhere in the Middle East using one of my emails, and they seemed happy to let them keep using it without ever confirming it. I was getting all kinds of emails with recommendations and stuff. Finally I got sick of it, so I reset the password, signed into the account, and cancelled their service. Not like they could do anything about it, I had control of the email account.

crienne · Jul 20, 2020

One of my Gmail accounts is [email protected], and someone with the same name seems to have signed up for things, including higher education, with [email protected]. The problem there is that Gmail actually ignores the period so I get all of his email too.

CatAssTrophy · Jul 20, 2020

Yes, one day I went to make a Microsoft account so I could tie it to my Windows licence. It told me it was already in use.

Apparently someone in Korea or something used it to make an xbl account but could never fully activate it.

I got all of that sorted and my account set up, but when I get communications from MS via email it's all in Korean. I changed my language preferences, location, etc and it still happens. MICROSOFT SAYS THERE'S NO WAY TO FIX IT AND IT'S PERMANENT.

The stupidest fucking thing I've heard.

Otakunofuji · Jul 20, 2020

Some doofus with the same name as me keeps trying to use my gmail address (first.last@gmail) for all sorts of stuff. I've actually tracked him down and know who they are and have tried contacting them on Facebook and even sent them a text message to their cell number (boy, it's easy to find all sorts of personal info when people sign up for stuff with YOUR email address ...). He applies for jobs and all sorts of stuff and uses my address, so I just reply to the job queries and tell them they shouldn't hire him because he's too stupid and unreliable to use a proper email. It seems to help for a few months and it slows down, but then I get another flurry of emails I didn't sign up for.

Era of not Yakuza · Jul 20, 2020

sqwarlock said:
One of my Gmail accounts is [email protected], and someone with the same name seems to have signed up for things, including higher education, with [email protected]. The problem there is that Gmail actually ignores the period so I get all of his email too.

I face the exact opposite
someone did the same thing and now I get all his [email protected] on my [email protected]

Saganator · Jul 20, 2020

I was pretty early to Gmail so I don't have numbers and shit in my email, I think that's lead to a new accounts being made with my email. Only one that bugs me is the person who somehow made a RedBox account with my email and I get emails when they're late to return a movie

Apathy · Jul 20, 2020

The era of Luigi said:
I face the exact opposite
someone did the same thing and now I get all his [email protected] on my [email protected]

It's cause Gmail doesn't care about dots in the email. You own every variation of an email regardless of dots

Dots don't matter in Gmail addresses - Gmail Help

If someone accidentally adds dots to your address when emailing you, you'll still get that email. For example, if your email is [email protected], you own all dotted versions of your address: jo

support.google.com

Sybil · Jul 20, 2020

Haha I might have been on the other end because one of my emails is only a letter (my middle initial) off from someone else's and I used to forget all the time
...thank god for autocomplete

Deleted member 17092 · Jul 20, 2020

Not good. Might actually need to close out your email and start a new.

Era of not Yakuza · Jul 20, 2020

Apathy said:
It's cause Gmail doesn't care about dots in the email. You own every variation of an email regardless of dots

Dots don't matter in Gmail addresses - Gmail Help

If someone accidentally adds dots to your address when emailing you, you'll still get that email. For example, if your email is [email protected], you own all dotted versions of your address: jo

support.google.com

Nice
Funfact: I took a look, someone made a paypal account using a "." in the middle. I wonder how on earth he can use it if it's impossible for him to check. I tried to change the password and, as expected, the code was sent to my email.

Soapbox Killer · Jul 20, 2020

Someone named "RobertOnofrio" just the other day used my email for a site called "Only fans", which before that day I had never heard of.

Ferrio · Jul 20, 2020

A handful. One in Mexico for sure, had some really confidential medical stuff come to me from someone living in the midwest.

It's crazy how so many don't verify emails.

EloKa · Jul 20, 2020

You guys can check if your email adress appears in this database: https://haveibeenpwned.com/
If it does then it's more likely that your adress is getting used by bots that automatically create accounts instead of by some mistake from a stranger.

DirtyLarry · Jul 20, 2020

There's some kid in Australia who is apparently a lazy bastard who never uses his email address but uses mine (we have the same name).
Funny enough we play some of the same games, but he gets updates to his Live Gamertag for said games to my email address (all Ubisoft games actually).
I have thought about hitting him up on Live and be like cut the shit and use a different email address, but decided it is not frequent enough to warrant the potential headache.
Oh, I almost forgot. There is also an old man in Florida. A few years ago he filed his taxes under my email address. Really bugged me out as I thought my identity was stolen. It was one of the bigger companies, I explained the situation, and they were very helpful. Even called me back 2 days later to say he said thank you for letting him know.
He also ordered a cane once and used my email so I had his address.

kubev · Jul 20, 2020

Yeah, this happens to me on occasion. I generally just do a password reset and change the password to something random, then log out of it. It's not a bot doing it. It's some dumbass who doesn't know his email address.

The Albatross · Jul 20, 2020

Jesus all the time.

My email name is kinda common for people with this name and people always mess it up and register for some account with my email... Sometimes very person or financial related things.

I continually get medical records for this guy in Denver from multiple places. Receipts, records in PDFs, tax documents. Tons. I've actually called one of the offices for him to see if they can reach out to him and tell him he keeps using the wrong email. I get his 2FA banking login codes. I try to tell him but to no avail.

I used to get some personal emails for one guy too and I usually reply to those and say they have the wrong address.

The thing that pisses me off is that like the handful of times I've reached the right recipient... They're usually aggressive and assholes about it and act as though I'm wrong, like I'm using the wrong name or that's their name or something... And I'm like no dude I'm sorry but I've had this email for 15+ years, OG Gmail user here. That might be your name too but this is my email. One guy from Florida was a legit prick about it. Part of my name is very unique, there's not a ton of us in the US and we're likely related back from the old country in some way, so I'm usually very friendly when someone messes up because.. like we're probably distantly related. And this one guy got fucking pissed at me and told me I need to cease and desist impersonating him, and I was like dude fuck off I'm trying to do you a favor.

fontguy · Jul 20, 2020

I had to abandon an email address because so many people with my name just sorta assumed it was theirs. I'm still pissed about it.

somato · Jul 20, 2020

Oh god yes. My name isn't super uncommon, and I have a gmail account based on my name for job searching. Some other guy in a different state has used it for his grubhub orders and a bunch of other things. At some point you'd think he would realize maybe there's something amiss when none of those emails show up for him... :|

Commander Kook · Jul 20, 2020

This just happened to me for the first time yesterday with my gmail. Someone tried to make an account with Garena Online, some mobile game company. Funny thing is they needed to verify the email to complete it. I changed my password and already had two step enabled, but it freaked me out. Didn't realize this was so common.

cameron · Jul 20, 2020

Years ago someone signed up with Facebook using my school email that I rarely checked. The email account was getting spammed with FB status / post updates.

I initially assumed the email account was compromised somehow and immediately changed the password, but apparently Facebook at that time allowed new account sign ups without forcing email verification. The person also signed up for some other services (like cloud storage), but these services all sent an email asking to verify.

I had to reset the password on the FB account and then contacted FB from within account to get them to delete the account. It took a while for the FB rep to understand what happened.

MegaRockEXE · Jul 20, 2020

I think two times last year, someone tried to open a Netflix account with my email. Of course I didn't allow it, but it was kinda scary at the time.

Mr. Von Touchdown · Jul 20, 2020

Jimmy John's keeps sending me offers and I ain't even in the US. One day though...

reKon · Jul 20, 2020

Yes, but it's not as bad as others have it based on this thread.

Mikarza · Jul 20, 2020

I've had someone signup to an ISP and use one of my email address, the ISP started sending me their bills and invoices. It took a number attempts to tell them that the email address on the account was incorrect, and that I was being given this guys personal information attached to the account.

I've also had people people create twitter account, book holidays and hotels, sign up to various newsletter subscriptions (not actual spam) as well with other email addresses.

davepoobond · Jul 20, 2020

I've gotten some family photos, and also invitations for family events.

Sorry other me, your family thinks you're an asshole probably.

Have you ever had your email associated with a new account you didn't create?

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