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If you’re like most Internet users, you get frustrated at the sheer volume of spam that hits your inbox on a daily basis. You probably wonder if the company you gave your email address to in order to download that utility sold it to a spam broker.
If you use Google’s Gmail, though, there’s a way you might be able to find out.
Now, this method isn’t foolproof, but if you want to find out if someone sold your email address, this can help you point the finger in the right direction.
For example, when I signed up for the iTunes Music Store, I provided an email address of myaddress+itunes@gmail.com, for my login address. This will still be delivered to myaddress@gmail.com, and the plus-sign with the additional information behind it helps me to filter my mail to see if it’s been sold.
I created a filter in Gmail that basically says, anything with the +itunes designation in it should have an ‘iTunes’ label put on it, and put in a special folder. If I ever get an email at that address that’s not from Apple, then I know that they either gave or sold my address to someone for the purposes of spamming, because the ONLY place that has ever seen that email address is the login server at the iTunes Music Store.
(For the record, I’m not accusing Apple of selling my address, because every email I’ve ever received at myaddress+itunes@gmail.com has been a receipt for a purchase at the iTunes Music Store).
As I mentioned above, though, it’s not foolproof - but not for the reason that you think. Some websites won’t allow you to enter an email address with a plus-sign in it, but there’s a way around that as well, although it won’t show you who sold your address if you use this method at more than one site.
In addition to myaddress@gmail.com, mail sent to myaddress@googlemail.com will also show up in your inbox. So, if you get email sent to that address and it shows up from someone you never gave the address to, there’s your smoking gun.
Just another reason why you might want to consider switching to Gmail.