Saturday, August 4, 2007

Who's Pamela Bussey

Oddest thing started happening a few months back. I started getting semi legit emails from US companies say I'd registered for online access, bill payment or whatever. Semi legit because they didn't ask me to login and do something via a bad link in the email.

I ignored a few. A couple that led back to a Gas company I replied to customer service to let them that whomever had this account had the wrong email address. Two days later there was another email simply saying the password had been changed. Oh well thank goodness they addressed the issue.

Just this week I was invited to attend the local Neighbourhood Watch. I'd like to help. Next time I'm in the southern US. But seriously I replied to the organizer and explained the situation. He was kind enough to take me off the emails but I'm not sure if he told the person who signed up with the wrong email.

That I believe is Pamela Bussey. Maybe Pam Bussey.

So now I know when she changes her password. I don't know her password. I just know who has her mortgage and who is her gas supplier. I get an email or two a month.

That's not so bad. It's the sudden up surge in SPAM that really bothers me.

It took me a couple of days to put it together. My primary email account is with a major web company. I'd had it over 12 years, as my primary email for over 10 years. And I've never seen anything like the last two weeks. Even before they rolled out the latest spam protection I don't think I got this much.

I kept thinking how the hell did this happen? Then after making a filter to drop anything not address to me, as much of this email wasn't, the next one still landed in my inbox. Addressed to Pamela Bussey at my email address.

So it wasn't me. But sadly where ever the address was being harvested from the person had accidentally put the wrong email address up. My address.

The moral of the story? Well Mr Peabody I'm not sure. Maybe make sure you know your email address. Even if the accidental recipient isn't malicious you maybe causing them grief.

No comments: