Spam and e-mail address?

[CharlieD]

How is it possible, how and where do they find the information? I just got an e-mail, the Spam e-mail, where they call me by my name. The e-mail has completely different name. No where in the settings do I show my real name. The e-mail is attached to a different fake e-mail that doesn't have my real name either. I don't understand how and where were they able to obtain my real name?

 

[jeninga75]

Did you sign up for something online that you had to enter your name? Like membership to another site or forum? I know that's how I usually end up with those.

 

[CharlieD]

I really do not think so. I go by Charlie and my email is also has that name in it. And I do not mention my real name anywhere.

 

[jeninga75]

Donno then... With all the stuff that can be done via internet nothing suprises me.

 

[sage™]

Some places you buy things from sell your info to spammers.

 

[auntdot]

Charlie being almost computer illiterate I cannot tell you how it is done.

But it is not that tough, at least according to folks I have talked to.

People can find out almost anything about us. Sorry but that is the nasty truth.

And believe me I don't like it either.

 

[Hungry]

Spam

I really do not think so. I go by Charlie and my email is also has that name in it. And I do not mention my real name anywhere.

Charlie,
Just for kicks GOOGLE your real name and/or your e-mail name.

You might be surprised at the results.

Charlie

 

[LT72884]

How is it possible, how and where do they find the information? I just got an e-mail, the Spam e-mail, where they call me by my name. The e-mail has completely different name. No where in the settings do I show my real name. The e-mail is attached to a different fake e-mail that doesn't have my real name either. I don't understand how and where were they able to obtain my real name?

read this Howstuffworks "How Internet Cookies Work"

and this Howstuffworks "How Spam Works"

EVERYONE should read these. i have to deal with this as part of my job every day. SPAM sux. especially the bad ones. but i refuse to look and screen over emails because i dont want to deal with the bad ones.

 

[*amy*]

Hard to say/figure out where they come from. Noticed when I dumped AOL, I didn't recieve any more Spam.

A few safeguards:

Don't open emails from anyone you don't know

Don't click on any links w/i the emails
(Sometimes there are links to Opt out - don't know if this is a good or bad thing - I opt out or mark as Spam)

If a friend has forwarded you an email with lots of folks from their address book, as them to only send YOU an email

Don't fill out questionnaires - this will generate tons of unsolicited garbage

Don't give your email address out to anyone, except close friends or business associates

Get another email account - i.e. hotmail

If you receive junk/spam email, mark it as spam & block their address

Run Ccleaner, spy bot & Ad aware

ETA: If you key in your personal info (email, address etc), check there is a yellow lock on the bottom of the screen - i.e. secure.

 

[LT72884]

Hard to say/figure out where they come from. Noticed when I dumped AOL, I didn't recieve any more Spam.

Probably the most common source of e-mail addresses, however, is a "dictionary" search of the e-mail servers of large e-mail hosting companies like MSN, AOL or Hotmail. In the article Hotmail: A Spammer's Paradise?, the author describes the process:

[SIZE=-1] A dictionary attack utilizes software that opens a connection to the target mail server and then rapidly submits millions of random e-mail addresses. Many of these addresses have slight variations, such as "jdoe1abc@hotmail.com" and "jdoe2def@hotmail.com." The software then records which addresses are "live," and adds those addresses to the spammer's list. These lists are typically resold to many other spammers. [/SIZE]​