Using FREE email addresses - pitfalls

[Callidus]

OK, so this isn't the first time this has happened and it seems to be coming more and more frequent especially amongst YAHOO email addresses, time to take precautions if you setup accounts using YAHOO.

Yahoo seem to recycle email addresses if they haven't been used for a long period. They always have done but recently it seems to be becoming more and more frequent.

I did a test last night and the following happened, AGAIN!

Chose a random stealth name, setup a yahoo email account with the name and chose a YAHOO email ID as I always do.

Copied the email address into eBay.co.uk reset password - it sent me an email asking me to reset my eBay password even though I hadn't created an eBay account at this time. I received the email, reset the password and logged in yet again to an account that had the same email user ID attached. 4 year old account, no feedback. Obviously, it's not my account so have logged out and left it well alone but this is a warning to people using YAHOO, make sure you secure you're eBay account as much as you can or use other email providers.

I thought it was necessary to post as I assume lots of stealthers are using YAHOO as an email provider and wanted to make you aware. Update your email addresses or move providers. I for one will be looking at other options besides free email accounts!

[yankee]

Interesting for sure.
I dont think I have ever had an email service that was not free excluding the ones I can get via my ISP.

[Callidus]

Ever had any problems with the ones you have used? Do you use the big name free email accounts? Yahoo, Gmail etc...

[yankee]

I use Gmail almost exclusively and have had issues but not pertaining to a previously used email address.

[Bunneh]

Well as far as i know gmail doesnt do this

Yahoo do this if you dont access your email for 6 months - 1 year, and most people dont even bother checking there ebay account via email accounts, so this is probably why they expire.

Imagine if your paypal account is attached to that yahoo email when this happens

Have you tried Outlook.com that seems more popular now days, but they do the same time frame as yahoo but i am sure they don't recycle emails.

[Callidus]

Originally Posted by Bunneh

Imagine if your paypal account is attached to that yahoo email when this happens

That is the most worrying part for sure!

[GhostOfAmazon]

Hotmail also does this, although I'm not sure about the timeframe.

Sounds like you got lucky though. I wouldn't throw it away. It's a 4 year old account. Buyers are more trusting to old accounts than new, even if there isn't any history. Worth keeping around. Obviously the original owner has forgotten/abandoned it (and even if not, he doesn't have access to the email and the password has been changed, so he can't use it anyways).

Heck, if nothing else, sell it here. As long as you are up-front about the accounts history, I don't see any moral issues.

[123]

very interesting but I stick to gmail and use pretty long emails should solve most problems

even on yahoo could probably avoid this problem by simply using very long emails like gjhn3S895it2cm, what are the odds? lol

[GhostOfAmazon]

Originally Posted by 123

very interesting but I stick to gmail and use pretty long emails should solve most problems

even on yahoo could probably avoid this problem by simply using very long emails like gjhn3S895it2cm, what are the odds? lol

Hard to remember though. Like I said, I see more benefits than risks.

You pick an email at the account creation, not after. It's not like you lose a lot of time or other resources.

[123]

Originally Posted by GhostOfAmazon

Hard to remember though. Like I said, I see more benefits than risks.

You pick an email at the account creation, not after. It's not like you lose a lot of time or other resources.

I have way too many accounts to ever try to remember anything, i use spreadsheets and programs for everything

[Callidus]

Originally Posted by GhostOfAmazon

I wouldn't throw it away. It's a 4 year old account.
Heck, if nothing else, sell it here. As long as you are up-front about the accounts history, I don't see any moral issues.

A. It's not my account
B. That's theft
C. I wouldn't take / sell / offer for sale an account with what could possibly be someone's real information.

[GhostOfAmazon]

Originally Posted by Callidus

A. It's not my account
B. That's theft
C. I wouldn't take / sell / offer for sale an account with what could possibly be someone's real information.

It's your account now, whether you intended it to be or not. They can't possibly recover it, even if they wanted to, now that the email address associated with it belongs to you.

If you don't want to use it, I'm certainly not going to criticize you, but ALL registration info can be changed easily. It's a 4 year old account that's going to waste. Obviously it's completely up to you, I'm just pointing out that the original owner/creator will never use it again, whether they would like to or not.

Just offering a different perspective. I don't want to start another flame war over a difference of opinions.

[rsot]

Recycling e-mails by yahoo....not surprised but always a danger

[miketyson]

This is nuts. I was trying to login and reset an old ebay account I had from 2004. It will only reset via email. I tried the hotmail email and it locked down with a uk email. Kiss that account goodbye! I think I know why it happened. Back in the day ebay use to let u have the same username as your email.

[slokor]

Originally Posted by yankee

I use Gmail almost exclusively and have had issues but not pertaining to a previously used email address.

Same here.
I use gmail alone and they never do this. Your email account stays open forever and they never shut it down regardless of lack of activity.

[rsot]

So many other free e-mail providers exist as well

[dealagreeproceed]

gmail will shut u down too tho but for the strangest reasons

[GhostOfAmazon]

Originally Posted by dealagreeproceed

gmail will shut u down too tho but for the strangest reasons

Not for leaving your account dormant though.

[slokor]

Theyll ask you to verify the account sometimes - usually if they see a new IP address used.
Thats about it.
If you maintain all the info you used to open the account with you should have no problems with it lying dormant.

[bjammin]

Originally Posted by 123

very interesting but I stick to gmail and use pretty long emails should solve most problems

even on yahoo could probably avoid this problem by simply using very long emails like gjhn3S895it2cm, what are the odds? lol

So how do you do your passwords?

[jeffweico]

Originally Posted by Callidus

A. It's not my account
B. That's theft
C. I wouldn't take / sell / offer for sale an account with what could possibly be someone's real information.

I agree. NEVER, EVER, EVER use someone else's real information, ESPECIALLY if you do not have their permission. That could easily be construed as identity theft. There is a myth that it only counts as identity theft if you use their SSN, but that is NOT TRUE!

Trust me, you do NOT want to go there.

And there is NO NEED to do it. Stealth avoids all that. That is what stealth is all about.

[jeffweico]

I would add, I think gmail is the best email provider. With Yahoo, you could end up displaying images by accident. I think Hotmail just has a lousy reputation - which is maybe unfair since they had been around the longest, but it is what it is. I always like to - when possible - use an email address from my ISP. Most will give you several email addresses and sometimes you can even buy more. Of course, that will not work for everyone and there is the issue of images loading, but I think it could work for some people.