Reply to an email accidentally sent to me or not?

[stilloverthinking]

A former colleague sent me an email which obviously wasn't intended for me. Nothing embarrassing, it's just an email asking for opinions from colleagues, but it clearly wasn't intended for me.

Should I reply to it and let him know, or just leave it?

Of course let them know, so they can send it to the right person.

Yes I would let them know.

y that will enable your colleague to send it correctly.

It was sent to about five people, including me....I very obviously wasn't supposed to get it.

Was it asking for opinions about you?

If not just respond and say 'Im not sure this was for me'

Yes but the most likely explanation is that there’s another ‘still’ in the organisation, who was supposed to receive it but your address was auto-suggested instead.

Do you mean they were asking for opinions of current colleagues but you are no longer a current colleague?

Definitely let her know. In a previous job I was always getting emails for someone with the same first name and similar surname. I would always let them know so they could get in touch with the right person.

It might be a similar situation here

Asking for opinions on a piece of work they were doing, that had nothing to do with me, not my area...So I know I wasn't an intended recipient.

Then of course let him know. Why wouldn’t you? As pp said there is probably someone else in your organisation with a similar name to you, or the same first name and it autocorrected.

I do sometimes wonder why the smallest decisions in life end up on MN. Surely it's obvious that if an email is meant for someone else, you let the sender know it came to you in error.

I know. Bizarre isn't it? I've received emails/texts not intended for me, and have just responded "Hi , I'm assuming you didn't mean to sent me this?" Or words to that effect. It honestly not a big deal OP.

You’re not the first this has happened to and you won’t be the last. Just message them back saying I assume this wasn’t for me? Otherwise they may not know you’ve been included and the intended recipient hasn’t got it 🤷‍♀️

If you want to be more polite (following don't think this was meant for me) you could add 'just letting you know so you don't think someone is ignoring you. Hope you are getting on well.'

in that case play dumb ? work as a spy

Sorry, but… what exactly is the problem? Why wouldn’t you reply and say ‘Hi, I think you meant to send this to someone else as this isn’t my area of work’. What’s the dilemma?

Your username is very apt. I would have replied immediately without a second thought.

Why are you worrying about this? Just reply that you think it was sent in error and leave it be. With all that's going on in the world at the moment, is it really worth the headspace?

Reply just to the person that sent it (not everyone) and let the original sender know. Probably the intended recipient has a name close to yours with a typo.

I have a common 70/80s name and a common starting letter surname so at one point when working there were 3 of us with very similar emails doing very similar jobs (2 of us identical jobs and one adjacent role) and we used to get emails meant for the other all the time

it doesn’t sound as if it is anything controversial so yes massively overthinking

Really? This happens a lot. Just tell them. No drama. Why did this need a thread?

is there a weird drip feed or backstory coming?

Why is this even a decision? It's a boring work email sent to you in error. He's hardly inadvertently copied you in on a state secret or a massive fraud.

I’d forward it on to three more people like a chain letter. And then tell those three people that if they don’t forward it on to three more people, they’ll get 7 years bad luck.

Yes, just email and ask if it was sent to you in error, so they can send it to the right person.

How is this even a question? 😳

Just reply and point out it wasn't mean for you.