Data protection leak

Livelongandprosper

Funnily enough my husband was sent an email,today from a complete random saying he had been sent personal details about him and 'proved it ' by giving our address

A few taps of a keyboard proved it to be a scam and details have been passed onto action fraud uk

rach_k

If it's genuine (sounds like it is), other than following it up with the solicitors and complaining, I would be reassured by the guy getting in touch. For ages, a daft woman was giving out my email address as her own - I had access to her debit card details, her address, her business, info about her children and their school... I got in touch with her to let her know. If I was going to do something dodgy, I would have just done it! I'd suggest thanking the guy nicely though - it's VERY annoying when you put yourself out to help a stranger like that and they don't even acknowledge you!

Malthusian

If you want to avoid it happening in the future, get a new email address such that if someone makes a mistake while writing it, it's unlikely to form another valid email address. Buying your own domain name is an easy way to do this if you have a common name.

So for example, instead of johnsmith@gmail.com, where if anyone misses out the "h" it's almost certainly going to go to some other guy called Jon Smith who uses Gmail, register johnsmith@wisteriafarm.co.uk (or any other domain of your choice) and give that out as your email address. You shouldn't need to change your email software.

If anyone makes a mistake then it will either come back "message undeliverable" or you can set up "catch-all" email forwarding for your new domain.

Stevie_Palimo

Malthusian wrote: »

If you want to avoid it happening in the future, get a new email address such that if someone makes a mistake while writing it, it's unlikely to form another valid email address. Buying your own domain name is an easy way to do this if you have a common name.

So for example, instead of johnsmith@gmail.com, where if anyone misses out the "h" it's almost certainly going to go to some other guy called Jon Smith who uses Gmail, register johnsmith@wisteriafarm.co.uk (or any other domain of your choice) and give that out as your email address. You shouldn't need to change your email software.

If anyone makes a mistake then it will either come back "message undeliverable" or you can set up "catch-all" email forwarding for your new domain.

There is no mention in the OP of the person who contacted him here having a similar name so this suggestion of buying an email address is not going to make any difference at all, The main part here on DPA breaches would also not be effected by a paid for email address as they happen on a regular basis and looking at the OP here who seems very worried would still be upset if another Company has a data leak.

For the record OP being worried about data being out there is really not worth while getting stressed out about as we all have many details held about us and you would be having kittens if you knew exactly where your personal information was being held and who has access to it at any given moment.