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HELP - Someone is using my real email to setup Trashmails!

Posted: 12 Nov 2008, 00:26
by NoellyB
I just received three Trashmail setup notifications all in the space of about a minute. The IP address logged was from Amsterdam - I'm in the US.

What do I do? Is there any way to stop this? I registered and paid for all of the plus options, and I use my real email address for all of my personal email usage, so I don't want to change my address. Is there any way to deal with this?

Thanks!

Re: HELP - Someone is using my real email to setup Trashmails!

Posted: 12 Nov 2008, 00:30
by Admin
NoellyB wrote:I just received three Trashmail setup notifications all in the space of about a minute. The IP address logged was from Amsterdam - I'm in the US.

What do I do? Is there any way to stop this? I registered and paid for all of the plus options, and I use my real email address for all of my personal email usage, so I don't want to change my address. Is there any way to deal with this?

Thanks!
Hello,

if the IP address was 213.155.82.90, its "normal".
Because of an incident of deleting automatically forwarding addresses, I recovered them manually back with standard settings (except that forwarding and expire time are set to unlimited).
A description of the problem can be found here:
https://ssl.trashmail.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=258

Sorry for the problem.

Re: HELP - Someone is using my real email to setup Trashmails!

Posted: 12 Nov 2008, 00:31
by NoellyB
Ok, I made a mistake - the IP address being used is: 213.155.82.90, and using another GEO-IP service, I'm finding that the address actually is located in Muenchen, Germany. Is this where Trashmail itself is located - could this be a Trashmail related thing that's happening here?

Re: HELP - Someone is using my real email to setup Trashmails!

Posted: 12 Nov 2008, 00:34
by Admin
NoellyB wrote:Ok, I made a mistake - the IP address being used is: 213.155.82.90, and using another GEO-IP service, I'm finding that the address actually is located in Muenchen, Germany. Is this where Trashmail itself is located - could this be a Trashmail related thing that's happening here?
Yes,
I just updated the software (see https://ssl.trashmail.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=256). After the update I run a clean up program to clean up old accounts. Unfortunately the expire time of an account with unlimited expire time is set to -1. The program interpreted this that the account has been expired long time ago. Then it deleted the account. I recovered back the deleted accounts with standard settings (except that forwarding and expire time are set to unlimited).

Re: HELP - Someone is using my real email to setup Trashmails!

Posted: 12 Nov 2008, 00:35
by NoellyB
Wow - you replied before I updated my post!

Thanks for the quick reply - and you are "spot-on" correct - that IS the IP they are coming from. Thanks for clearing that up!

That was rather scary though, and I'm now wondering if that could be a problem in the future - anyone could setup TrashMail and forward it to a user's address without any possible intervention with the exception of deleting the accounts as they were made. That could lead to some serious abuse. Is there any way to stop this?

I'm a software developer myself, and would love to help out with TrashMail - I know you get money for it - and I AM a registered/paying user, but I was thinking that maybe as a Plus Feature, one could require a password when creating TrashMails therefore killing the possibility of someone abusing the system like that.

Again, I'd love to help - and I don't charge much - maybe just a few million dollars or something! Just kidding - I'd love to help for free! ;)

Thanks!
Noel

Re: HELP - Someone is using my real email to setup Trashmails!

Posted: 12 Nov 2008, 00:46
by Admin
Thanks very much for your help.
I just fixed the performance problem. Performance should be now no more a problem.
Next step would be to fix data safety.

For the help: Can you send me a quick resume to [email protected] ?
I would like to check this out.

Thanks for your help.

Re: HELP - Someone is using my real email to setup Trashmails!

Posted: 12 Nov 2008, 02:21
by NoellyB
Resume sent, I appreciate you taking the time to consider it! ;)

Re: HELP - Someone is using my real email to setup Trashmails!

Posted: 12 Nov 2008, 06:34
by Z
That was rather scary though, and I'm now wondering if that could be a problem in the future - anyone could setup TrashMail and forward it to a user's address without any possible intervention with the exception of deleting the accounts as they were made. That could lead to some serious abuse. Is there any way to stop this?
Yes. I have also been thinking about that. But afterall, I have alias which is so unpredictable for trashmail forwarded emails. That I assume nobody guesses that. Then it's another story if someone close to me knows (or sees) me creating those accounts. After that it's naturally trivial to create plus accounts and send email in my name. Only current solution is to change that forwarding address and contact administration for address change. Because trashmail doesn't allow plus customers to change addresses.

About that topic. I some times create temp accounts without my plus address. Then I can't change those later to point to my plus address. That's bit annoying. I don't see any reason why it's not allowed that way. Is there any, which I haven't thought of?

- Thanks