posted on May 12, 2001 12:13:08 PM
The last few day I've been receiving Spam on an email address that I once used for PayPal, and no where other than PayPal. When I stopped using PayPal I changed it to an email address that no one could ever guess and removed the other email addresses that I used. this is a email address that I removed from the account in December of last year, so about 5 months ago.
Anyone else have this happen? Guess the only way to track it is if you used a PayPal exclusive email address.
posted on May 12, 2001 01:59:42 PM
Any email address can be spammed.
There are progz online that you put in a domain name such as @AOL.com or @yahoo.com etc. The prog then randomly generates 10, 000's of email addresses these are loaded into the spam program and sent many don't get sent because they don't exist but out of 500,000 generated in 20 minutes 10-15% actually exist.
This could easily explain how your address was captured.
Once proven to be a real active email address you will receive a ton more.
Just a suggestion
JB
posted on May 12, 2001 02:21:11 PM
I have one of the programs your talking about(never used it, didn't want the hassles) but this is a email address that is not on the big email servers, it's on a domain I have registered and it is not likely to be found by a email address generator. unless you really think it could generate something like [email protected] it's real handy to find out who sells you email address, like if you have to put in a email address for a download, you put in [email protected] then when you get Spam from someone you know buys lists you know who sold you out.
it's either PayPal or I didn't think of this until now, one of my buyers in the past, but with no emails coming in on the email address for 5 months who knows. it really looks like someone sold the address because I've received dozens of emails just in the last few days. as I don't use it anymore I just direct the mail that comes in on the address to a "Spam" folder I use.
like I said just wondering if I am the only one, if I am the only one would say maybe a buyer, if I'm not the only one I would have to say it was PayPal.
posted on May 12, 2001 04:48:20 PM
Yes it could generate one like that.
I worked for a company very very briefly that had a computer for sole purpose of generating emails.
We would do AOL and generate 5, 000, 000 addresses in a 3 hour period resulting in around 60,000 usable ones.
I highly doubt paypal is selling addresses you either had one from a generator or a buyer/seller that used your address added it to their database of salable addresses.
Especially if you have a PP link on your auctions.
Once someone uses your PP email it's no longer a secret.
You may want to change your address frequently if spam bothers you that much.
BTW going rate for addresses is dirt cheap like 1000/$1.
posted on May 12, 2001 05:29:36 PM
you still don't get the point, you can send [email protected] and it will get to me.
if someone wanted to Spam me it would be stupid to run email generation software on a domain that is only likely to have a few email addresses. like I said I'm not on aol, earthlink, home, msn, etc. this is an address that would be next to impossible to pick out of the hat, also if they did I would have used a email generator there would be thousands of emails sent to thousands of email addresses. not just the one that I used for PayPal.
I'm not new to this stuff I know how this stuff works, I set up people in business on the net everyday I just wanted to know if others were receiving Spam on their addresses they use for PayPal as no one else has responded I would say that it was probably someone that I sold to.
posted on May 12, 2001 05:52:33 PM
I haven't received any spam on my paypal only email account.
Also if you said you have your own domain and unlimited aliases then for each website you signup use an email address like [email protected] or [email protected] so when spam comes you can figure out from where and then set a filter to delete everything from there.
posted on May 12, 2001 07:15:58 PM
Airguy- I'm getting ton's of SPAM, but to narrow it down to Pay Pal I can't say. Lot's of buy 1Million email addresses, credit reports, spy software, finance etc. I must have my degree by now because I don't get the University Diplomas anymore...
posted on May 12, 2001 09:03:58 PM
Someone once told me something similar. I have no way of verifying but they said that they use a PO box for everything. Paypal insisted on a street address. They gave paypal a street address and after a while started getting junk mail at that address. Since they never used that address for anything though they lived there for several years, they are convinced that Paypal sold the address.
posted on May 13, 2001 07:40:57 AM
nofishing: I think that's a little paranoid. It *might* be possible that they would sell you email id or shipping address because 1) there's money in it and 2) it's next to impossible to prove and 3) other than annoyance, you don't lose money over this. But they can't sell your credit card because:
1) a reputable company won't but it. It's of no use to them unless YOU charge something from them, in which you would give them this anyway
2) if they sold it to crooks, there would have been hundreds of complaints about it already.
3)it would totally destroy the whole paypal service if crooks had access to this info. Think of all the charge backs Paypal would have had to eat.
As much as I believe Paypal needs a little more regulation and if they don't do it themselves, the government should step in, I don't believe that they're crooks.
By the way, have you ever used your credit card in a restaraunt? Do you realize that the minimum wage waiter you forgot to tip now has your CC info? Do you cancel your credit card every time you use it ONCE because of this fear?
The only time my credit card was ever charged illegally was when a clerk at a store decided to charge other things using my card and those of other customers. She was quickly caught and we did not have to pay the charges.
posted on May 13, 2001 09:39:19 AM
Paranoid is an understatement if you are so concerned about PP making $.001 from your email address cancel your account and don't do business with them.
You also better change your email address everythime you send an email to anyone or leave it on a web site.
It's so easy to delete spam why bother.
As far as PP selling your CC information I just have one comment.
"Hi my name is reality, nice to meet you."
If you don't like PP don't use them just stop complaining.
posted on May 13, 2001 12:54:47 PM
According to a May 5, 2001 article in The Economist, PayPal was widely believed to be planning to sell much more than its customers' e-mail addresses --- until new federal privacy laws got in the way.
posted on May 13, 2001 03:22:20 PM
Yes, I have received SPAM mail in the past weeks but I can't blame it on paypal because I use my main E-Mail address. The Spam is very unusual. Miss Cleo, I would never contact her and a porno one and this computer has never been to a porno site. I am the only one that uses it. There are others but they don't stick out in my mind like they did. Most of the time I delete before I read them, but these two I opened and sent a cancelled email. I hope they aren't selling our email addresses.
posted on May 13, 2001 04:46:03 PM
Hello airguy. I just posted this in the other thread about selling email addresses but thought you might want to read the articles concerning Network Solutions so I'm posting it here as well.
I am convinced that my email address is being sold or shared by either eBay or AuctionWatch. I have seen a huge increase in the amount of spam I receive in the last few months and am VERY unhappy about it. I have only given my real info and my main email address to eBay and AuctionWatch - I felt it was necessary when I signed up for eBay years ago but I was stupid to give it to AW since it wasn't necessary and I wouldn't have given it to eBay under their present Privacy Policy if I were signing up today. BTW, this spam has started AFTER eBay implemented their new messaging system and my email address is not part of my user ID. Also, I haven't been active on their site for the last 6 months. My small local ISP is a personal friend and I'm certain that he is not selling my info AND no one would ever be able to guess the domain.
I use throw-away addresses with false info everywhere else on the net. I do not use a charge card and have never ordered anything on the internet except through eBay's site. I am extremely security conscience and use a very effective web filter that gets rid of web bugs, cookies, referrers, etc. and I have WSH and all other scripting set to open with EDIT in notepad so they cannot run on my system. I have literally gutted all of the options from my computer that could in any way call out or compromise my security and privacy. I also use a firewall and a good antivirus program.
The following is a very informative article explaining how spammers get your email address and I firmly believe the only way anyone received my address was from eBay or AW since I have taken precautions to prevent the harvesting by using any of the methods listed here:
article:http://www.private.org.il/harvest.html
posted on May 13, 2001 04:51:49 PM
I have been getting a ton of "looking for a mortgage?" emails....I haven't needed a mortgage for the last 15 years. I just had a horrible thought after reading Libra63's post....What ifMiss Cleo knows something and I will be needing one?????
Seriously, I used to never get spam then about 6 months ago I started getting it big time. I haven't signed up for anything with anyone in over a year.
To think, there was a time I felt left out because I never got spammed! I used to feel bad about never getting "occupants" mail either! I felt so "left out" ...not anymore!
...not anymore!