Is MSE selling email addresses?

imcat

I subscribe to the MSE newsletter using an email address that is unique to MSE and which has never been used or disclosed to anyone.

I am now receiving newsletters from WhatHouse.co.uk. MSE is the only place this email address could have been obtained from.

This is not your usual spam with trojans similar to the outbreak that affected members last November but is a legit house buying website.

I am considering raising a complaint to the ICO as either

1. MSE is selling email adressses which is not disclosed when signing up, ie, illegal.

2. MSE is not securing and protecting personal data. Given that they suffered a breach last year and its seems to be occuring again can be punishable with a fine.

I would like MSE investigate where whathouse.co.uk and globepanmedia.co.uk are obtaining MSE members details from.

Former_MSE_Webmaster

Hi imcat,

Sorry to hear your'e receiving unsolicited e-mails but please rest assured that we certainly do not sell e-mail addresses, we never would and we do our very best to protect what little personal information we do hold.

The breach you are talking about was we believe for forum email addresses in the end of 2009 - was this the same email you use. We have no reported breach of our newsletter list which is a totally separate system and protected fiercely. As it goes to over 5m people we'd be surprised if there was a breach and only one person felt it.

It is also worth checking your own computer at this point - if you have had a virus/spyware installed it could've read the various email addresses that you receive email too and that could be the cause too.

Can you please PM me with the e-mail address in question and I will investigate from our side.



Webby

cgk1

Here's a handy tip for anyone signing up for newsletters and using gmail (might with other email providers but I don't know). Gmail allows you to alter your email so every sign-up is unique by simply adding +WHATEVER after your name. So if my email address was bobo5mithz@gmail.com, I'd simply give MSE, the email address, bobo5mithz+msenewsletter@gmail.com. Then if providers pass on your email address, it's easier to see who might be doing it and you can add that a filter to send mails from that address straight to the trash if it becomes a problem.

vuvuzela

Cheers cgk1, wasn't aware of that feature.

imcat

cgk1 wrote: »

Here's a handy tip for anyone signing up for newsletters and using gmail (might with other email providers but I don't know). Gmail allows you to alter your email so every sign-up is unique by simply adding +WHATEVER after your name. So if my email address was [EMAIL="bobo5mithz@gmail.com"]bobo5mithz@gmail.com[/EMAIL], I'd simply give MSE, the email address, [EMAIL="bobo5mithz+msenewsletter@gmail.com"]bobo5mithz+msenewsletter@gmail.com[/EMAIL]. Then if providers pass on your email address, it's easier to see who might be doing it and you can add that a filter to send mails from that address straight to the trash if it becomes a problem.

Yahoo has a similar feature and is what I do (I have 100's of addresses - each unique to a website). It is therefore very easy to identify which sites are responsible for spam.

imcat

MSE_Webmaster wrote: »

Hi imcat,

Sorry to hear your'e receiving unsolicited e-mails but please rest assured that we certainly do not sell e-mail addresses, we never would and we do our very best to protect what little personal information we do hold.

The breach you are talking about was we believe for forum email addresses in the end of 2009 - was this the same email you use. We have no reported breach of our newsletter list which is a totally separate system and protected fiercely. As it goes to over 5m people we'd be surprised if there was a breach and only one person felt it.

It is also worth checking your own computer at this point - if you have had a virus/spyware installed it could've read the various email addresses that you receive email too and that could be the cause too.

Can you please PM me with the e-mail address in question and I will investigate from our side.

Webby

This breach seems to have a different MO to the previous one where it was obvious that it came from the forums. I have sent a copy of the email to webmaster and furtherhelp @ MSE for your info. i will also PM you the address.

It is unlikely that it is due to any breach on my PC as it is running all the latest antivirus, firewalls, and it fully up to date. Also I have hundreds of email addresses, each unique to a website (hence why I know this originated from MSE) and it would be too much of a coincidence that they pick the one financial related one for a financial newsletter.

Globe Span Media Ltd seems to be a legit UK based company so they maybe open to you asking where they obtain their mailing list from to aid your investigation. I will also try to ask them but they may be more responsive to a request from yourselves from being a high profile and respected site.