Email address being used by someone else

[#1]

I have started getting emails from gambling sites and age verification sites where someone has set up an account using my email address
Is there anything I can do to stop this?

[#2]

@chrisblack685 First thing - change your email password - it appears you have been hacked. Put your email into here: https://haveibeenpwned.com/ to check.

[#3]

Thanks John
I have changed the password

[#4]

Unfortunately there's nothing you can do to stop people using your email address really in the initial case.. unless the USE of that email address requires verfying the address by emailing you. At which point you obviously don't click on any links!!!!!!!!!!

(That's one reason they DO email you).

It might not be malicious, it might be someone entered the wrong email. I used to get emails from a company for someone that has my name but the surname is spelled slightly differently, that are legit but a mistake.

Of course in THIS case, if it really becomes an issue what you could do is email the gambling sites (if they are real and do it directly etc) and say it's the wrong address. But if you are just being spammed then clicking on links and emailing random companies may just lead to more spam. And if they don't have your other details it's not really an issue. I'd just leave it and see if it stops.I doubt it means you've been hacked but it may mean someone who has had your email at some point has been hacked (which could be 100s of people).

[#5]

In the case of a gambling site, I would take very affirmative action, by calling (do not email) their customer service team.  Doing nothing could be detrimental for you.

I regularly check my credit searches and have twice found soft searches from online gambling servers - no emails were received - and upon enquiry I found fraudulent accounts had been created using my identity.  It seems that such is far too easy to do.  The companies concerned both closed the accounts immediately.

[#6]

For sure if there's any indication at all they actually have any REAL info I'd be contacting them straight away.

By real info I mean your real name, address, anything other than JUST some email address.

You (Townman) are probably right though, better safe than sorry to contact them and put your mind at rest..

Just make sure it's contacting an official gambling site etc not some contact method sourced in the email or a dodgy link in the original email, who might ask you for "more details" or something to process it .. Just in case the problem here is the EMAIL(s) are from a scammer themself. I'm always very careful of that.

I know someone who a year or two ago was hit by one of those "contact us to pay to have a package delivered" fake royal mail scams. I.e. He contacted them to "pay", gave details + card, then shortly later got a fake call pretending to be his bank trying to get him to move money to safeguard his account. This is a classic thing.

I've had such fishing emails but I'm thankfully a cynic