# What is the angle for these fake entries to my web sites contact page?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-angle-for-these-fake-entries-to-my-web-sites-contact-page/919658>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 3, 2020, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-angle-for-these-fake-entries-to-my-web-sites-contact-page/919658 "2020-09-03T00:41:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\
**Post date:** [September 3, 2020, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-angle-for-these-fake-entries-to-my-web-sites-contact-page/919658/1 "2020-09-03T00:41:50Z")

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I have a web site for one of my jazz groups, and it has a Contact page where you can send us a message and optionally sign up for our mailing list. Over the last few months I have gotten maybe four spammy messages. But there have been about 60 entries where they don’t leave a message but sign up for the list. I sent emails to them all today and they came back with “no such account” bounces. They all had names with corresponding email addresses with a number, like Caitlin De Garis [caitlin.degaris20@outlook.com](mailto:caitlin.degaris20@outlook.com). (This is a fake name and non-existing email so I am not invading anyone’s privacy here.)

Why would anyone do that? I assume it’s a bot but I can’t see any advantage in signing up for a mailing list with a fake email address.