Hey everyone, I’m in a weird situation and need some help.
For months now, I’ve been getting emails in my inbox that aren’t meant for me. They’re for someone with an email address that’s almost the same as mine, just without a dot between the first and last name.
At first I thought it was just people making mistakes. But nope, these emails are actually addressed to that other person’s email. I’ve even found out who this person is through social media. They’re real and have a totally different job from me.
I’ve checked all my Gmail settings and everything looks normal. My account seems secure. But I’m worried about my own emails possibly going to them too.
Has anyone else run into this problem? Is it a Gmail glitch? How can I stop getting their emails and make sure mine aren’t going astray?
This is really freaking me out. Any advice would be awesome!
This is a known quirk with Gmail’s address system. Essentially, Gmail disregards periods in email addresses before the @ symbol. So [email protected] and [email protected] are treated as identical.
To address this, I’d suggest creating filters to automatically sort or delete emails clearly not meant for you. You could also try contacting the other person if possible, to coordinate a solution. As for your own emails, they should reach you correctly as long as the full address is used.
If this continues to be problematic, consider transitioning to a different email service or using a custom domain for your email. These options provide more control over your address and reduce the likelihood of such mix-ups.
I’ve actually dealt with this exact situation before, and it can definitely be frustrating. The root cause is likely that Gmail doesn’t recognize dots in email addresses. So [email protected] and [email protected] are treated as the same address.
In my case, I started getting emails for someone with a very similar name. I ended up reaching out to the sender of a few emails to let them know about the mixup. I also set up a filter to automatically archive emails addressed to the other person’s name.
One thing to keep in mind - your emails shouldn’t be going to the other person. Gmail routes based on the full address, so as long as people are using your correct email, you’re fine.
If it keeps being an issue, you might consider switching to a different email provider or using a custom domain. But in most cases, a filter and occasionally reaching out to senders works well enough.
hey, i had this issue too. gmail ignores dots so emails get routed wrong sometimes. i fixed it with filters and notifying senders. no need to worry bout ur mail if ppl use ur exact address. if it really annoys, consider a diff provider.