Why It’s Probably a Good Idea to Leave Your Name Out of Your Email Address

(This is from Cloudeight InfoAve Premium newsletter, Issue #687 )

It’s really cool to use your first and last name in your email address. However, there’s a good reason why you shouldn’t. And here it is. Suppose your name is the same as EB’s – Darcy Goobergoober. Now it would be really swift to have an email address like DarcyGoobergoober@who-cares.net, right? Well yes, Darcy Goobergoober is a fine name, no doubt about it. However what happens when a spammer gets a hold of that address? Here’s what happens…

The National Bank of Willard
Your savings place and a whole lot more
Car Loans 50% OFF!

Dear Darcy Goobergoober,

Thanks for banking with us. Believe it or not, we just found out that $4 million dollars was deposited in your account! Apparently it was transferred to your account from someone named Lotus Overbaum from Kreaker, Lower Slobovia AB49072. Yes, you’re shocked. We’re shocked too! But it’s true. All $4 million is yours if you just click this link and verify your bank account number and password. You’ll be one of our biggest customers. You’ll get to sit in the plush offices of our president, smoke Havana cigars and drink Grey Goose with our board of directors!

Yes, Darcy Goobergoober, you could be $4 million richer just by clicking this link right now .

Thanks for banking with us.

H. M. Hummer
President
National Bank of Willard

If you’re sharp, you’ll think, “Gee, I don’t have any relatives in Lower Slobovia” and you’ll delete this as a sp/am email – phishing email or scam email , whichever moniker you prefer. But what happens if you’re tired, had too much to drink, or have to work with an evil boss like I do and you are beaten down into a miserable weary state! You might not be as sharp as usual, and you may just decide heck, $4 mil is worth a chance! Click! Click!

But what if your email address was not your name, what if it was RollyPolarBear@ Nebraska-is-flat.com? Then the sp/ammers would write.

“Dear RollyPolarBear …”

And you’d say “Wait! My name is Darcy Goobergoober… not RollyPolarBear – these guys are scammers! No matter how tired you were, or how much you had to drink, or how much of a rush you were in, you’d still know what your name is and what your name isn’t.

Of course, as always, I’ve gone to the extremes to prove a point. Most sp/ammers don’t bother with names, it’s just “Dear cardholder”, “Dear customer” or “Hey baby!” I just made that last one up – sp/ammers don’t do that do they?

Anyway, scams are becoming more and more sophisticated. So why help them out by giving them your whole name inside your email address?

It’s a good idea to use something other than your name as your email address. A helpful suggestion from your friends Darcy & TC

Now I’m off to see if RollyPolarBear @ Gmail is available!