Tip #4809 - Search Your E-mail Address
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Q:
Is there any way I can find out if my e-mail address is being used
on public Web sites? I've been getting more spam than normal lately
and I wonder if that could be why. Please help!
A:
Oh, I'm so glad you asked!
I actually get this question all the time and I do apologize for neglecting
it up until now. I know you all deal with spam e-mail on a daily basis
(some more than others) and even though it's sometimes hard to figure
out why, there are a few things you can check on. One of the biggest
causes, as stated in today's question, is giving out your e-mail address
on public Web sites and not even knowing it. And that's exactly what
we're going to go over today, so without further ado, let's get started!
People ask me
all the time if there's a Web site they can use that scans their system
and tells them every single place their e-mail address is used. That's
a great idea, but unfortunately, the answer is no. To my knowledge,
there aren't any Web sites designed to do that, but you can get a
little assistance from your favorite search engine. Just choose whichever
search engine you'd like to use (Google, Yahoo!, etc.) and search
for your e-mail address. From your results, you will be able to see
which sites have access to your address.
For example, I
used Google and typed in erin@worldstart.com. I received quite a few
results, but they were mostly for other publications that sometimes
use the computer tips I write (with permission, of course!) And while
it's perfectly fine for other people to use my tips, it could be where
some of my spam comes from. It's hard to tell, but at least I now
have a general idea of what might be happening.
If your e-mail
address showed up on several different Web sites, you might want to
take a few seconds to think about all of the sites you visit. Do you
do a lot of online shopping? Are you a member of any social networking
sites? Do you sign up for newsletters, etc. regularly? If so, you
were probably required to fill out some type of a Web form, am I right?
I mean, every time you order something online, you're asked for your
e-mail address. Every time you sign up for a free newsletter, you're
asked to give your e-mail address. Every time you create a profile
on a social networking site, again, you're asked for your e-mail address.
It's a very common thing to do these days, but each time, you're running
the risk of having your e-mail address published on a public site.
Now, I'm not saying
every Web site does that, but it does happen. And it's one of the
main reasons why you might be getting so much spam e-mail. For your
own safety, you should never intentionally post your e-mail address
on the Web. I know it's required by a lot of Web sites and that's
fine, but you should stop and make sure you trust the site before
you type it in. Luckily, a lot of Web sites are designed to keep your
personal information private and obviously, those are the sites you
should be using. (WorldStart is one of those sites!)
In conclusion,
if you weren't happy with the results you received when you searched
for your e-mail address, you may want to reconsider the sites you
use. Look through your results and end your connection with any that
might be sending you spam. Also, keep a close eye on the spam you
do get. You might be able to figure out where it's coming from and
stop it in its tracks that way as well. It's a good idea to search
for your e-mail address from time to time, just to make sure you're
not being added to any spam lists. It's just one more way you can
keep yourself safe while using the Web!
~ Erin
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