# Do other people get bombarded with emails for people with similar names? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 25, 2017, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-people-get-bombarded-with-emails-for-people-with-similar-names/780753 "2017-02-25T17:27:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2017, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-people-get-bombarded-with-emails-for-people-with-similar-names/780753/61 "2017-03-14T23:04:53Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > It is certainly not hard to come up with a non-identifying user name. Why bother telling someone _so incredibly obvious_. I assume Dopers are smart enough to figure out such trivialities on their own (esp. based on User Names here). Apparently, I’m not smart enough to do so. Which is why I’d really appreciate your providing examples of an email addresses that are non-identifying _and_ professional. While I certainly appreciate the creativity of some of the usernames on this board, they utterly fail to be professionally appropriate. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2017, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-people-get-bombarded-with-emails-for-people-with-similar-names/780753/62 "2017-03-14T23:46:31Z")
Since I last posted, the family in the UK with my last name has needed to have their washing machine serviced. ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2017, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-people-get-bombarded-with-emails-for-people-with-similar-names/780753/63 "2017-06-02T04:14:52Z")
Not necessarily an email, but I got a phone call yesterday at the office: Me: “Hello, this is **Tripler** ” Him: “Hi, this is John in ABCDE Division. I am calling in reference to a TPS report you signed on with a little while ago about a new project in area six. Blah blah blabbity blah for thirty seconds blah blah blah.” Me: "Ummm, okay. . . " Him: “I see you’ve moved to a new division, so I can refresh your memory on it, but blabbity blah blah blah for about ten seconds blah.” Me: “Hold on, hold on. Go kindergarten on me. What’s a ‘TPS’ report?” Him: "Oh, it’s the Total Piece of Sh\*t report you studied and approved two years ago. Me: “Listen, I’ll be honest, I have no idea what you’re talking about. I don’t know anything about the new projects. . .” Him: “I pulled your information up from the global email address list, and it directed me to you. Are you not Tripler E. Happenstance?” Me: “No, I’ve only been here eighteen months. I’m **Tripler P. Happenstance** ” Him: “OH! Well the _other_ Tripler didn’t show up on the email list, so he must be gone. I assumed he was you. Sorry about that! Pip-pip, good day Sir!” ::Click:: I wonder how many phone calls I’ll get for Tripler ‘E’. I should charge money for those that call me. Tripler Oh, you know Tripler _Enos_ Happenstance? He owes me fifty bucks–cough up! ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2017, 9:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-people-get-bombarded-with-emails-for-people-with-similar-names/780753/64 "2017-06-02T09:32:53Z")
I manage a number of email-only domains for family members. I get a few misdirected emails. Occasionally I respond pointing out the errors, and the cluelessness is amazing. I get responses asking me to fix it. ---
**Author:** ![Flutterby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Flutterby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flutterby)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2017, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-people-get-bombarded-with-emails-for-people-with-similar-names/780753/65 "2017-06-02T16:09:09Z")
I have a few emails, some older than others and some with no relationship to my name, some with. I get interesting emails. My main email gets a lot of things from India at times, receipts for purchases, India versions of Amazon and the like. Apparently I picked something that’s very Indian sounding. Once I got an email to meet people near LA and go shoot a commercial for the most expensive of RVs, helicopter ride and pack a swimsuit for a dip in the hot tub. Another time I ended up on a list of people who were with a church and going on a mission (that took a few emails to clear up). All the same email mind you. The email with my name for professional purposes gets emails for people in England sometimes. Apparently there are a bunch of us there. Someone getting married and booking an officiant, mistaken identity that sort of thing. The most interesting one is an email with a made up name I used online for a bit. Someone is either a determined phisher or has the wrong email address. I get requests all the time for things in South Africa. Someone’s bank account, car and insurance. Different things but all the same name referenced and going to my email. Drives me nuts, I’ve junked things, made sure my email address isn’t compromised etc but they keep coming. ---
**Author:** ![Jennshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Jennshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jennshark)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2017, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-people-get-bombarded-with-emails-for-people-with-similar-names/780753/66 "2017-06-07T01:07:50Z")
In grad school I had an email address that was very close to that of an extremely famous author who taught in the system – like a little above Jon Krakauer fame (we share a first initial and same last name). I would get requests for speaking engagements and interviews all of the time; it took me a while to figure out that no, it was the other guy who Harvard was offering $250k for a commencement speech. I was tempted to just show up 😃 ---
**Author:** ![G0sp3l](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c68b51/32.png) [@G0sp3l](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G0sp3l)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2017, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-people-get-bombarded-with-emails-for-people-with-similar-names/780753/67 "2017-06-07T01:45:46Z")
I hope some dude owning a Kia has his maintenance records in order, 'cause I keep getting his service notices. ---
**Author:** ![Whiskey\_Dickens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9fc348/32.png) [@Whiskey\_Dickens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whiskey_Dickens)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2017, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-people-get-bombarded-with-emails-for-people-with-similar-names/780753/68 "2017-06-07T18:34:43Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > I manage a number of email-only domains for family members. I get a few misdirected emails. Occasionally I respond pointing out the errors, and the cluelessness is amazing. I get responses asking me to fix it. Step 1 - Reply that you’ve fixed it, and you are now the person they originally wanted Step 2 - Wait for satisfied response regarding fixed misdirection Step 3 - Respond with filthy filth Screenshots, son! ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2017, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-people-get-bombarded-with-emails-for-people-with-similar-names/780753/69 "2017-06-07T20:57:43Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > I manage a number of email-only domains for family members. I get a few misdirected emails. Occasionally I respond pointing out the errors, and the cluelessness is amazing. I get responses asking me to fix it. This has ample historical precedent. How many people have received phone calls to a wrong number, only to have the numbnuts on the originating end insist you forward the call or put the intended party on? Cluelessness is facilitated by technology, but technology isn’t actually necessary for cluelessness. :mad: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-people-get-bombarded-with-emails-for-people-with-similar-names/780753.md?page=3)