Computer Help and Support

mitch96

(15,171 posts) Fri May 2, 2025, 05:13 PM 17 hrs ago

Question, I must have been tagged on the many data breaches. I keep getting emails stating I have approved

a money transfer, which I never did.. The email address they use is one I haven't used in a bazillion years. Lucky the email keeps going to my spam folder.
Ok the question. Should I dump this unused email address? What repercussions will it have?
If I dump the email address will I still be responsible if someone else uses it? Like a fraud or con and says it's me?
It's easy for me to go to the email provider and just delete the targeted email address.
Thanks in advance..
m

3 replies

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Question, I must have been tagged on the many data breaches. I keep getting emails stating I have approved (Original Post) mitch96 17 hrs ago OP

Text(s) everyday that I have been approved for a loan............ Lovie777 17 hrs ago #1

If you are like me, my primary personal email is everywhere. I set up some stringent spam protection hlthe2b 17 hrs ago #2

email addresses have been hacked or sold for ages. usonian 17 hrs ago #3

Lovie777

(18,230 posts)

1. Text(s) everyday that I have been approved for a loan............

Reply to mitch96 (Original post)

Fri May 2, 2025, 05:16 PM

17 hrs ago

never applied.

hlthe2b

(109,407 posts)

2. If you are like me, my primary personal email is everywhere. I set up some stringent spam protection

Reply to mitch96 (Original post)

Fri May 2, 2025, 05:21 PM

17 hrs ago

Last edited Fri May 2, 2025, 06:09 PM - Edit history (1)

but I do constantly get crap coming through and some of the spoofs are so good that only close examination of the sending email address keeps me from accidentally clicking through.

I have Norton add-on that searches the dark web for my info, and it is constant. I contact every broker for personal data removaL that they advise and it just keeps increasing.

All you can really do is be cautious opening emails or texts, notify the key brokers of personal info (Spokeo and VeriPages and a few others), and most importantly, lock down your credit at each of the three credit systems.

usonian

(17,336 posts)

3. email addresses have been hacked or sold for ages.

Reply to mitch96 (Original post)

Fri May 2, 2025, 05:38 PM

17 hrs ago

If you are an Apple user, the iCloud "plus" lets you set up temporary email addresses that you can withdraw later (or not) for signing up for stuff.
Perhaps other email providers have this as well/

But once it's out there, it's a matter of filtering as your provider can, and your email program can.

Just don't reply or "unsubscribe" to any really crappy looking email. That just validates your email address in case they sprayed random ones looking for a hit. That's how they guess a lot of passwords. People use common ones.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_the_most_common_passwords

Sites like Yahoo, LinkedIn, DocuSign and others have been hacked and email addresses stolen. In some cases, the password protection was so weak that even those were grabbed. I changed all the old passwords I ever used, and will never use them again.

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