How Do Spammers Get My Email Address?
Randy Eadon
September 19, 2008
Though it may not always seem like it, it is actually easier for you to find out about a spammer than it is for them to learn about you. While you can use a reverse email directory, spammers can only use addresses that they got through one of two ways. Spammers can get your email address through the buying and selling of email directories, and through previous business relationships.
Though server directories contain the most complete list of email address, these are not the only lists of this information. In fact, there are many advertising directories containing email addresses of people that at one time signed up to get more information or to be contacted by a company that in turn sold their directory to another company, who sent out spam.
While this is the most common way that spammers get your email address, this is not the only way. They can also get it through previous business relationships, which means that if you give a company your email address, you are giving them permission to send you other information and advertisements as well as the data you wanted in the first place. In fact, when you enter into a business relationship with a spammer, your name is automatically added to their reverse email directory, which can then be sold to other companies.
Of course, the bottom line, or lesson to be learned seems to be to be careful who you give your email address to. If you have to provide this information, consider creating an account that you use expressly for this purpose. This way, even if your email address gets added to a spammer's reverse email directory, you do not have to worry about it, and you do not have to carry about your normal communication around such intrusions.
Though server directories contain the most complete list of email address, these are not the only lists of this information. In fact, there are many advertising directories containing email addresses of people that at one time signed up to get more information or to be contacted by a company that in turn sold their directory to another company, who sent out spam.
While this is the most common way that spammers get your email address, this is not the only way. They can also get it through previous business relationships, which means that if you give a company your email address, you are giving them permission to send you other information and advertisements as well as the data you wanted in the first place. In fact, when you enter into a business relationship with a spammer, your name is automatically added to their reverse email directory, which can then be sold to other companies.
Of course, the bottom line, or lesson to be learned seems to be to be careful who you give your email address to. If you have to provide this information, consider creating an account that you use expressly for this purpose. This way, even if your email address gets added to a spammer's reverse email directory, you do not have to worry about it, and you do not have to carry about your normal communication around such intrusions.
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