# Yet another spam question
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-spam-question/568670
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [January 23, 2011, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-spam-question/568670 "2011-01-23T16:55:25Z")
**Posts on this page:** 2
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [January 23, 2011, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-spam-question/568670/1 "2011-01-23T16:55:25Z")
An email appeared in my spam folder from an unknown address. (Obviously, since if it were known the mail would not have been where it was.) The title was was my street address when I lived in L.A., and the salutation was my given name. The email contained a ling to [digg.com](http://digg.com). Since I know that digg. com is a legitimate site, I copied the URL into a new browser window, verified it was digg, and checked it out. As expected, it led to a pitch (‘Free Grants Available To All USA Citizens’).
How did a spammer get my name (I assume that if he has my given name he also has my surname), and my address of three-quarters of a decade ago?
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### Author:  [@Al\_Bundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al_Bundy)
#### Post date: [January 23, 2011, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-spam-question/568670/2 "2011-01-23T19:24:46Z")
I do lots of people searches. There are an abundance of free sites that can be used to find people and relatives. Names can be linked to email addresses quite readily. They just keep hunting and names come up and email addresses come up. They could also go directly from your old address using a reverse search and then link the email address. It’s all quite simple and generally free for the asking, the ideal price for spammers.