If your email address is [email protected] ...

[chocbelli]

... do you often get emails for other people with the same name as you?

I've had a firstname.surname gmail address for about 30 years, with no bother, but in the last 3-4 years I've been getting random but genuine emails for people with the same name - e.g. mailing list subscriptions, an EPC certificate, a building insurance email, emails from solicitors or accountants which include personal info. They are addressed to my firstname and surname, but include postal addresses in other parts of the UK or different countries. I assume these people must have similar emails e.g. firstname.surname1 or firstname.surnameWithDifferentSpelling but somehow mistyped them when filling out an online form.

Does this happen to you? My name is not a common one at all, but is clearly common enough for me to have doppelgangers around the world with poor recollection of their own email addresses.

I'm very curious as to why this just started happening in the last 3-4 years, when I've had this address for ever and ever! 🤷‍♀️

Nope. It's never happened to me in 20+ years

I used to get emails about my name sakes children’s nursery fees 15-20 years ago in my hotmail account. Couldn’t get my name for gmail so added an initial and it hasn’t happened since to me, although the person without the initial probably gets all sorts of random crap. I remember waiting ages for a wedding invitation and it was because they missed the initial.

I get the eyebrow waxing receipts for a lady of the same name in Arizona. Haven't had any for a while so guess she's changed beauticians as unshaped brows would be unimaginable for anyone with our name.

Never happened to me. There isn’t anyone else with my name out there though as far as I can tell.

Only once.
It was quite funny. She was trying to sign into my netflix.
Kept sending me forgot my password stuff.
I emailed to explain it was mine. And. She. Didn't. Get. It.
In the end I just ignored her.

Nope as have an unusual name

I have a slightly quirky email address (my first name and then another word) and I get quite a few for someone in the US, who must have a similar address. I've had details of her medical treatment sent to me before 😱

This happened to me with Gmail, too.

I'd miss those emails .. sounds charming.

I have a name you'd think wouldn't be common but there are a surprising number of us out there.

Yes. All the time.

I’ve had job offers, extremely confidential medical notes from American versions of me, an Irish version’s specsaver retina scans, been signed up to many many dating sites, school systems, and last week was sent a detailed quote for an art consultation to help me choose some new art work for my New York home. An Australian me buys an incredible amount of underwear, like way more than a person could wear. She’s fascinating.

I think at least one of me is very rich, it’s just a shame it’s not this one.

I always reply if it looks personal, like it might turn into a GDPR problem or like it might get annoying (the school ones in particular), but also just delete or unsubscribe quite a few too.

Mine is [email protected] and I'm always getting email for other people.
After school club bills for someone in the US.
A trust fund statement for someone double barreled in the UK.
A load of stuff for a bloke with the same first initial in Canada.

I've had my email for a good 20 years and only in the last year it has happened. Mine is my initials and surname. I got the instructions for his professional qualifications exam in I think the construction industry and his hotel booking in the midlands and then about six months later, the receipt for a piece of Luke Littler memorabilia which I hope he really liked as it was a crazy price.

Yeah I do on my old email address. At the start some of it seemed quite important and luckily I kept it because eventually the intended recipient emailed me to explain the issue. We had a few nice chats, lovely fella, and it’s really not his fault, so now I forward stuff to him. Haven’t had anything for a while actually, might need to check he’s ok!

Yup, I get them all the time from a lady who gives out my email address all over the place. I use gmail and dots aren't differentiated so my email address is joe.bloggs@gmail and she thinks her must be joebloggs@gmail however they all come to me as I had the email address first.

She's been doing it for 10+ years I think. I've no idea how she doesn't realise. I've seen her address, phone number, flight bookings, emails from friends...

Absolutely batshit!

No never

Never. And I don't have a particularly uncommon name.

According to the internet, this is how many babies have been given my first name in England during the last 30 years (i.e. it is not very common).

Yes but only one other person - she’s a total pain in the arse as not only do we have the same name but very similar dates of birth and she has clearly chosen an email address that is our shared firstname.surname with an extra ‘e’.
Down the years I have received countless emails from people she owes money to, had loan companies contact my employer to prove her employment and had bailiffs show up at my parents old address!
I couldn’t wait to change my name when I got married to get rid of her! The only remaining thing is my email address which she has somehow managed to register her paypal account to (which means I can’t get one!)

No but my surname is uncommon.

In my alt account which is a made up name, I get loads for a woman in New York who can't seem to get her email address right or just likes using mine when she owes people money.

Yes on yahoo mail (not an account I use much)

It's my first name my middle name @yahoo. I get tons of people signing up for Spotify or bank cards -I tend to log in and change password on stuff to alert them. Someone managed to get a Facebook account set up but can't access it as recovery codes go to me and I can't get into shut it down as don't recognise any of her friends.

This happens to me loads! Of the top of my head I’ve had:

1. something relating to school uniform
2. Repeated order of car parts.
3. Roblox signups
4. Instagram requests for new passwords
5. pet insurance details
6. cruise booking details
7. a small child kept emailing me thinking I was part of their science class.

the first few times I panicked thinking someone was hacking me but I’ve since realised it’s just because my email is [email protected] and my name is just quite common. feel quite lucky to have that email now. Benefits of having been a terminally online teen.

There is someone in New Zealand who shares my first name and surname. and has an email address that must be very very similar to mine. I occasionally get emails that should have been for them. The last one was a holiday itinerary from a travel agent. I emailed back telling the travel agent they'd contacted the wrong person.

I wonder if they ever get emails that were meant for me?

Yep! There's an American 'me'. I'm on quite friendly terms with various people in her church now as they email me in error so often

Yes it is a gmail issue that doesn’t differentiate between first name.surname and first name surname but let’s both exist.
it is whichever had it first - so SIL somehow got onto the testing of gmail in the UK and added me so I was the first

there is someone in North Carolina who is missing out on golf and lovely street parties (that one was easy to do)

signed up for various things but it is tough to tell anyone it is the wrong email address