receiving an unauthorized email

1. 61

   Dancing Waterposted 12 years ago

   I received an email today from someone I've never met in person.  It was sent from hubpages email to my private email.  Has this happened to any of you?  I have not a clue as to how someone obtained my email address from hubpages.  I feel violated.

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   1. 83

      SimeyCposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      When someone sends you an email via the profile page it goes to your personal email - however, the person who sends the email does not see the email address UNLESS you reply.
      
      You can stop others contacting you this way by going to My Account -> Profile -> Email Settings.

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      1. 61

         Dancing Waterposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Thanks ever so much!

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      2. 84

         Simone Smithposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Yes, thanks for clearing that up, SimeyC!

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   2. 86

      livingstaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      You need to check your settings. Like how SimeyC has mentioned, you need to go to your profile tab and check your email settings.
      There is an option " Allow others to contact you?" If that is checked, people can contact you. You need to uncheck that for people to not contact you. Please see screenshot attached. Hope this helps.
      
      

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         Dancing Waterposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Thank you so much.  I will do so straight away!

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      2. 66

         lovebuglenaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         livingsta - your screen shot is hard to see so just wondering... if someone posts an image to go along with a forum reply does it always look so tiny... I've never included one.

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         1. 86

            livingstaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            Hi lovebuglena, yes, this is what I have experienced all the time. Just doing a test with the formatting. Wonder if it will help!
            
            
            
            

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            1. 86

               livingstaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

               No, it did not help. There is a formatting button. Wonder if it lets you change the size in which the picture will be displayed? Otherwise, this is what happens when I post pictures. They are too small. Sorry

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   3. 85

      Marisa Wrightposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      As others have explained, that person didn't send an email to your email address.  They filled in a form on your profile, and HubPages forwarded that email to you.  The sender never saw your email address at any point.
      
      Very occasionally, scammers will use that means to try to get in touch with Hubbers, but it's such a laborious process that it doesn't happen very often. And you haven't been violated, because the scammer doesn't know your address or even if you got the email.  Just don't reply to it.
      
      It would be a pity to close the door on contact with other Hubbers because of one silly email.

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      1. 60

         MelissaBarrettposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         In addition, you never know what neat and interesting things might pop up.
         
         Habee got free seafood.
         
         One of my hubs got noticed by my state's paranormal society and I got an offer to accompany them on an investigation. (There shall be a hub forthcoming) along with an offer to write an article for them directly.

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      2. 61

         Dancing Waterposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Thank you, Melissa!  Very sound advice.

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2. 66

   lovebuglenaposted 12 years ago

   I've had this happen to me a few times before. The emails weren't bad though so there was nothing to worry about. If you are not ok with people you don't know contacting you then definitely go ahead and change your settings to not allow hubbers to do so.

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      Dancing Waterposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you!  I will do so right now.

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         paradigmsearchposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Personally, I'd leave that door open. You never know when opportunity might knock. As SimeyC said, your actual email address is not revealed unless you reply.

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3. 69

   brakel2posted 12 years ago

   I asked a hubber' to critique a hub. You never know when you might need to use the
   mail.

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4. 76

   DzyMsLizzyposted 12 years ago

   If I see a hub that needs a correction made in the area of facts, and sometimes an egregious grammatical mistake, I will always use the e-mail option to point this out, to avoid embarrassing the author in the public comments section.
   It is not an option I'd turn off. 
   
   As has been said--HP is an intermediary in the process--the sender does NOT see your actual e-mail address, unless you reply.
   
   I've had a couple of e-mails sent to me that I did reply to, and obviously, they now had my actual e-mail address.  A couple, I've stayed in touch with outside of HP--a casual friendship has developed.  The other was a 'thanks, but no thanks, I won't authorize that use of my article' reply...which, I suppose could have opened me up to spam, but it hasn't happened.
   
   I don't think it's worth getting one's panties in a bunch...

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5. 82

   Marcy Goodfleischposted 12 years ago

   I leave the door open, too - and I have gotten to know other Hubbers through the emails, so I like the ability to communicate.
   
   FYI - it helps a lot to have special email addresses for various uses.  The address I use here is not used for too many other things (aside from some other writing gigs).  That way, you are not really revealing your email to someone else.  But I am not sure we can change our email address on our accounts after we have already signed up here.

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      DzyMsLizzyposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      You can change your e-mail here--I did--had to, because I had to change my PayPal address, and that must correspond to the one you use here.

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