Someone just used my name and email to sign up for a website without my permission.

X Army · 12-10-2022 9:20pm #1

And I have no idea who could have gotten my details! At least whoever got my details, they didn't get my middle name right! Someone used my detail to sign up for some American financial services company. The email seems legit although I didn't click on any links. I don't think the said company have any buildings here in Ireland to ring and inform them of what happened.

I am trying to wrap my head around how this could have possibly happened. I use the email in question for more personal use but never to sign up for any dodgy website. The only way someone could have gotten hold of my name and email is probably a website I signed up with could have been hacked.

I'm nervous because who knows what information the scammers have on me! Anyone have any ideas on how I should proceed?

Edit: So just to clarify, I never heard of this American company and have never signed up to them. Also, I just emailed the actual company's anti-fraud division to get clarification. I don't know how long it will take before they respond. I'm just worried about my details leaking, because the scammers have my first and last names!

Jim_Hodge · 12-10-2022 9:41pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058267229/someone-just-used-my-name-and-email-to-sign-up-for-a-website-without-my-permission

Anybody you ever sent an email to for any reason would have your name and email. Email the site and tell them.

Victor · 12-10-2022 9:45pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119736732#Comment_119736732

Careful there, what if this site are the actual scammers / someone trying to verify email addresses to sell to scammers / spammers?

Jim_Hodge · 12-10-2022 9:49pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119736763#Comment_119736763

What???

Atlantic Dawn · 12-10-2022 9:53pm

How do you know you are signed up to any service?

X Army · 12-10-2022 9:53pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119736732#Comment_119736732

Yeah but I never signed up to the company in question and have never heard of them!

I just emailed the actual company's anti-fraud division. It will probably take at least 24 hours to get a response. I will update ye on this.

My suspicion is that whatever website I signed up with, that website got hacked, the customer details got stolen but never told us!

X Army · 12-10-2022 9:56pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119736842#Comment_119736842

I got an email confirmation and being asked to provide an e-signature. I never clicked on any links. But that isn't the problem, my fear is that how the hell did someone get my first and last name?! The emails I got has my name written. At least they didn't get my middle name right!

Jim_Hodge · 12-10-2022 9:57pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119736844#Comment_119736844

Or anybody you ever emailed did it.

X Army · 12-10-2022 10:02pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119736877#Comment_119736877

Possibly. I used my email when I was house hunting. I received one obviously bogus response from a supposed landlord offering me the room straight away without even having viewed it. But anyone I emailed about rooms and houses for rent could have given my details to fraudsters.

MoxoM · 12-10-2022 10:07pm

Is your email made up of your first name and last name?

Is your email something like firstnamelastname@email.com

X Army · 12-10-2022 10:32pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119736930#Comment_119736930

Indeed. But the first name on the email is actually the shorthand version of my actual first name. So the fraudsters could not have possibly known what my first name is! Although, on the one hand, maybe they took a guess from the email's name that the first name is really my nickname, and then signed up with my full first name instead.

I don't know. It's still weird why would someone sign me up for something if the emails I received are legit.

Guffy · 12-10-2022 10:40pm

My email is a name dob combination.

Had a contract sent to me from ATandT a few years ago along with installatio n booking and other bits and pieces. Turned out to be someone who had the exact same gmail address as me with one slight difference (can't remember exactly), ie surname initial dob.

Took ages to get taken off their mailing list.

Same issue actually with the same person for a US army pension or loan... i had ignored them as i assumed they were a scam.

pawrick · 12-10-2022 10:59pm

I have an american guy using my main email address on and off. He's ordered a cookery book from ebay, registered for utilities so i could track down some other land he owns, skype invite for a job interview etc. It's a bit annoying. I could screw him over majorly if I had wanted given how much confidential info has been sent to me incl log on info but generally i just delete it or have informed the person sending that he must have made a mistake with the address (his real name is similar to my alias). His former uni is driving me insane with spam, every time i block an address more arrives a month later from a different area of the faculty and unsub never seems to work for long.

Donald Trump · 12-10-2022 11:03pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119737065#Comment_119737065

Doesn't seem like a great idea to use that combination in your email address. I've seen it many times where people have their birthday albeit maybe not their year or birth but it is usually fairly easy to find out their year of birth or at least narrow it down.

MoxoM · 12-10-2022 11:07pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119737032#Comment_119737032

I think it’s just someone messed up who has the same name as you and an email address close to yours. They misspelled their email when signing up hence why you are getting them.

eg your email is jojohnson@gmail.com and theirs was joejohnson@gmail.com

both of your names are Joseph Johnson

13-10-2022 7:37am

Jesus wept, people get worked up over such minor things. This happens all the time. Just delete the email and carry on with your life.

Someone just used my name and email to sign up for a website without my permission.

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