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> someone seems to have been signing up my email for spam How did you determine that this was the cause, vs. the other highly likely reason: 2) your email add

by pwg 5y ago

> someone seems to have been signing up my email for spam How did you determine that this was the cause, vs. the other highly likely reason: 2) your email address has been sold, as part of a batch of millions, to scam operators who then sign everyone (including you) up to their scam lists.

emailthrowaway2 5y ago
I could be mistaken, but these are the reasons: 1. Some of the sites are legit 2. There is a small variety of fake names used consistently 3. In some cases they’ve actually made whole dating site accounts with info filled in Do the scam operators enter fake names and actually create accounts with logins? If so, I could be part of that. I had figured if my email were sold they’d also sell my name with it. If it is being sold on a list, what could I do, if anything?
- pwg 5y ago
  > 1. Some of the sites are legit Legit mailing lists are supposed to have a double-opt-in setup, where you get an initial email asking if you did indeed intend to subscribe. If you just "get subscribed" then the sites are not legit. > 2. There is a small variety of fake names used consistently That could imply a scammer with a short list of fake names that they cycle through. > 3. In some cases they’ve actually made whole dating site accounts with info filled in This one does weigh more in favor of someone intentionally targeting you vs. a scam artist who wants to target thousands at a time. > Do the scam operators enter fake names and actually create accounts with logins? Unknown. Some might, but as most operate on a /volume/ basis, going to the trouble of creating accounts with logins would reduce the volume they could target over unit of time, so that weighs against a general scam artist. > I had figured if my email were sold they’d also sell my name with it. Depending upon what the list contains, much more than just your email address /could/ be part of the list. > If it is being sold on a list, what could I do, if anything? You, yourself, almost nothing. Illegal operators are already operating illegally, you as one person can't do anything about that. The most you could do is report it somewhere, but the report would likely not be given high priority, so the net result is there is likely nothing you can do (other than continue to try to cross reference to see if you can eventually narrow down to who might possibly be responsible).

by pwg 5y ago

emailthrowaway2 5y ago

I could be mistaken, but these are the reasons: 1. Some of the sites are legit 2. There is a small variety of fake names used consistently 3. In some cases they’ve actually made whole dating site accounts with info filled in Do the scam operators enter fake names and actually create accounts with logins? If so, I could be part of that. I had figured if my email were sold they’d also sell my name with it. If it is being sold on a list, what could I do, if anything?

pwg 5y ago
> 1. Some of the sites are legit Legit mailing lists are supposed to have a double-opt-in setup, where you get an initial email asking if you did indeed intend to subscribe. If you just "get subscribed" then the sites are not legit. > 2. There is a small variety of fake names used consistently That could imply a scammer with a short list of fake names that they cycle through. > 3. In some cases they’ve actually made whole dating site accounts with info filled in This one does weigh more in favor of someone intentionally targeting you vs. a scam artist who wants to target thousands at a time. > Do the scam operators enter fake names and actually create accounts with logins? Unknown. Some might, but as most operate on a /volume/ basis, going to the trouble of creating accounts with logins would reduce the volume they could target over unit of time, so that weighs against a general scam artist. > I had figured if my email were sold they’d also sell my name with it. Depending upon what the list contains, much more than just your email address /could/ be part of the list. > If it is being sold on a list, what could I do, if anything? You, yourself, almost nothing. Illegal operators are already operating illegally, you as one person can't do anything about that. The most you could do is report it somewhere, but the report would likely not be given high priority, so the net result is there is likely nothing you can do (other than continue to try to cross reference to see if you can eventually narrow down to who might possibly be responsible).