Forum menu
How do scammers get...
 

[Closed] How do scammers get your email address?

Posts: 0
Free Member
Topic starter
 
[#7510064]

After forwarding the usual clutch of spam labelled mail to Action fraud I'm wondering how it is the buggers get hold of email addresses? I don't sign up for any dodgy services, yet I receive them.


 
Posted : 11/12/2015 10:41 am
Posts: 8416
Free Member
 

I think a lot of them just create thousands and thousands of random email addresses.

I used to get spam addressed to an email address that was similar but not identical to mine, apparently there were thousands of other email addresses in the BCC that you can't see.

Haven't seen any like that for a while mind.


 
Posted : 11/12/2015 10:49 am
Posts: 6939
Full Member
 

Email addresses are 'public knowledge'. Even if they weren't, your email address would be harvested when a company gets breached, or when someone with whom you've corresponded has their email hacked. Then there's the automation side of email address generation where algorithms are used to generate huge lists of likely / valid email addresses.


 
Posted : 11/12/2015 10:54 am
Posts: 0
Free Member
Topic starter
 

I wondered if it wasn't a tireless 'bot randomly generating addresses.


 
Posted : 11/12/2015 10:54 am