topic Re: missing email in Email

missing email

bathplug — Sun, 26 Dec 2021 18:39:04 GMT

Hi,

A strange thing happened today. Someone sent me an email from a gmail account. I read the email on my iPad. Then a bit later on it had disappeared from my iPad - I double checked all the mail folders. When I then looked on my iphone it wasn't on there, nor on my PC (which has a POP account in Outlook, but which probably had not requested mail during the time the email went missing).

I then signed into plusnet webmail, and there was no sign of the email.

Two people who were copied on the email did receive it on their iphones and it has not disappeared.

So can anyone tell me how an email might have disappeared after delivery?

Thanks

David

Re: missing email

Townman — Sun, 26 Dec 2021 21:07:46 GMT

Logical guess would be that the POP3 client removed it from the mail server. Then some mail filtering software on that PC decided they email was suspect and removed it in some manner - deleted it (check the deleted items folder), moved it to the junk folder or otherwise quarantined it.

If you want to access the same mailbox from different clients, involving a POP3 client is generally unwise / bad Kama!

Re: missing email

bathplug — Sun, 26 Dec 2021 21:26:44 GMT

Sorry, but that's not right.

The POP3 client is set up to leave messages on the server. While not ideal, I agree, it's a set up I've been using without problems for many years. Also there is no email filtering on the PC and I have (obviously) looked in all deleted / junk folders. In any case, how would deleting a mail downloaded into a POP client on my PC cause the mail to disappear from my iPad?

So there must be something else afoot. Just to repeat, the email was definitely on my iPad for a short period, and was successfully delivered to other addressees. But now it is not on my iPad or iPhone nor webmail account.

Very strange. Any other ideas?

David

Re: missing email

Champnet — Sun, 26 Dec 2021 21:31:04 GMT

Have you checked with the sender ? Looks like under certain circumstances gmail emails can be recalled.............

Re: missing email

bathplug — Mon, 27 Dec 2021 14:59:51 GMT

The sender didn't recall it.

This isn't the first time mail has unaccountably not got to me - though it is the first time I have briefly seen a mail in an IMAP folder, only to have it disappear shortly after - and not be in deleted or junk folders.

Searching this folder, it seems that "missing emails" is something that comes up from time to time.

Is there any possibility that the Plusnet email system is at fault? Is it possible for anyone behind the scenes at Plusnet to see if the email is being quarantined somewhere or other?

David

Re: missing email

Townman — Mon, 27 Dec 2021 15:02:19 GMT

I would consider the possibility of there being an unknown POP3 client harvesting emails. As a caution consider changing the mailboxes password.

Re: missing email

bathplug — Tue, 28 Dec 2021 10:51:25 GMT

It's always possible my email password is compromised, but I very much doubt that explains this event. I get dozens of emails a day on several devices and I am sure I would have noticed if emails were commonly disappearing owing to a POP3 account was routinely wiping stuff from the server.