Why do I get emails that are not addressed to my exact address?
harlow001
Newbie

always receive emails that are not addressed to me and it is real annoying. If I use spam blocker it removes email that I want.

What's the deal?

0 Likes
Re: Why do I get emails that are not addressed to my exact address?
tns
Master - Level 2

The Verizon spam blocker is only so-so.  Do turn it on but also tell it to send all blocked mail to a folder to double check for mail that is valid.  Agressively mark vailid mail as not spam and hopefully it will stop being blocked in the future.  Also write filters for anything that is really annoying and set those to delete.

0 Likes
Re: Why do I get emails that are not addressed to my exact address?
watch4finger
Newbie

The first answer did not address the primary question here (and I have been burning to ask the same question for years): HOW IS IT POSSIBLE FOR ME TO RECEIVE SPAM EMAILS IN MY INBOX THAT ARE NOT EVEN ADDRESSED TO ME???  I have to conclude that either verizon.net or possibly Apple (since I'm using their email app) is the enabler in this process and that there is most likely money involved (ya think?).

Is there some way I can have them stopped?  The Junk mail filter has little or no effect on these spam messages.  Some of the emails offer me the choice to uncubscribe.  I don't think it is smart for me to "unsubscribe" from something I did not subscribe to in the first place - especially since part of that procedure requires me to give my email address to someone who apparently doesn't already have it!

0 Likes
Re: Why do I get emails that are not addressed to my exact address?
tns2
Community Leader
Community Leader

@watch4finger wrote:

The first answer did not address the primary question here (and I have been burning to ask the same question for years): HOW IS IT POSSIBLE FOR ME TO RECEIVE SPAM EMAILS IN MY INBOX THAT ARE NOT EVEN ADDRESSED TO ME???  I have to conclude that either verizon.net or possibly Apple (since I'm using their email app) is the enabler in this process and that there is most likely money involved (ya think?).

Is there some way I can have them stopped?  The Junk mail filter has little or no effect on these spam messages.  Some of the emails offer me the choice to uncubscribe.  I don't think it is smart for me to "unsubscribe" from something I did not subscribe to in the first place - especially since part of that procedure requires me to give my email address to someone who apparently doesn't already have it!


Its the nature of SMTP protocol.  Nothing you see in your message has ANYTHING to do with who the mail is addressed to.  The actual addressing is done before that and is not included in your message.  The typical email client of course duplicates such info, but their is nothing in the protocol that requires from, to or cc to match anything.

0 Likes
Re: Why do I get emails that are not addressed to my exact address?
somegirl
Champion - Level 3

This is most likely what is sometimes called "dictionary spam." Spammers take a block of addresses from an alphabetical list, using BCC for all but one. They send out their spam message and hope to get lucky with at least some of those addresses.

Think of it as opening a years-old old phone book to a random page and dialing all of the numbers on the page. Some of the numbers would be disconnected, but a large percentage would probably still be valid. The names on the page would also all be very similar, some only off by a letter or two.

Re: Why do I get emails that are not addressed to my exact address?
PJL
Master - Level 3

@watch4finger wrote:

The first answer did not address the primary question here (and I have been burning to ask the same question for years): HOW IS IT POSSIBLE FOR ME TO RECEIVE SPAM EMAILS IN MY INBOX THAT ARE NOT EVEN ADDRESSED TO ME???  I have to conclude that either verizon.net or possibly Apple (since I'm using their email app) is the enabler in this process and that there is most likely money involved (ya think?).

Is there some way I can have them stopped?  The Junk mail filter has little or no effect on these spam messages.  Some of the emails offer me the choice to uncubscribe.  I don't think it is smart for me to "unsubscribe" from something I did not subscribe to in the first place - especially since part of that procedure requires me to give my email address to someone who apparently doesn't already have it!


The spammer may have your in the BCC field, in which case you will not see it, and the "To" field will have some other address.

You should NEVER unsubscribe to spam.  By doing so, you are validating your address and therefore staying on their lists.  Just ignore the unsubscribe option.

If you use a full email client (like Outlook, etc.) you can check the message properties (header).  Doing so can provide some information on where the email came from and how it got to you, but the "where it came from" is usually conterfeit -- spammers spoof their headers to avoid anybody being able to find out who they are.

Re: Why do I get emails that are not addressed to my exact address?
tns2
Community Leader
Community Leader

No reason for them even bothering with BCC;  That's what us regular users might use.  As said the way smtp works is

Your server connects and says helo or ehlo.  An authentication scheme may than be used, but it only authenticates one server to another.  Then a bunch of email addresses are sent, these are not ones you ever see, Then the body of the email including Pretty FROM: TO: CC; and BCC lines.  Although newer servers are fussier about this, SMTP protocol is not.

0 Likes