Dodgy emails

[Catherine]

I have friends who send me these round robin emails, copied from their friends etc. Even though I ask them not to I still get them. I usually delete them without opening. But I have started to get dodgy emails which are not even my email address. They have part of the name in the email address. They are definitely dodgy but I don't know how they are coming to my in box.

Does that sound confusing. I delete them and empty my deleted box but I was wondering if they are coming to me from these round robin emails.

They have been a couple saying I have won tickets to this and that, click on this link and...

Any idea anyone?

[alan refail]

Hi Catherine

Delete evrything you don't trust!!!

My computer recently picked up a load of viruses from a genuine-looking e-mail attachment. I'm reduced to using the Pwllheli liobrary computer at the moment.

Alan

[Catherine]

I normally do but I dont like getting these round robin emails because I think that they cause problems. Some of them have been circulated loads of times before they get to me. I have another two today, and no matter how many times I ask people not to include me it seems to fall on deaf ears.

[glallotments]

One of the problems with the round robin emails is that if the sender pops all the recipients in the To box and not BCC then all the emails sent to are available to everyone on the mailing list and anyone subsequently sent the email so you can imagine how quickly your email address is spread.

Maybe the senders of your dodgy emails used BCC and so you can't see your address.

I get lots of strange emails into my hotmail account which I generally use for sending emails to people that I don't want to have my outlook address. It is also the address posted on my websites.

If you have sent for anything online that asks for an email address then it is possible that the address can be used for junk!

[Catherine]

That sounds more like it glallotments as my ex sister in law just forwards them from her email with loads of people shown. You have to scroll down for ages before you see the intended joke etc.

Yes I have had to give email address out for things I have wanted sent to me. Once I tried to leave that portion out when they ask for your email and they would not let me get any further until I had included it.

[glallotments]

There uss a system to generate a Temporary email for instance http://www.tempemail.net/ which allows you to create just that - a temporary email - you can use it for reasons such as you describe where you don't want to give out your real address. From what I cam remember you can ask for emails to be sent to your real address that remains anonymous

It isn't very secure - I used it ages ago - you just make up an email address but at that time someone else could end up with the same address and have access to your messages so it really not for receiving anything that you wouldn't want to get in someone else's hands but maybe that has changed.

If you Google temporary email it will come up with a number of these services.

[Catherine]

Thank you I will look into it.