mystery of recent doppelgänger account

communicant · 28 Apr 2018, 10:51 PM

Within the past few weeks, somehow one of my Gmail addresses (the oldest one) has became the recovery or secondary address for an Italian medical researcher with the same user name. I receive an occasional message for him about a research paper he has written. The addresses are identical: <same userID> at gmail.com.

First, how could this have happened? Surely when an account is created, if a new user attempts to choose an address that is already in service, he is told to make another selection, correct? (The address of mine that he has duplicated was created in 2004!)

Second, if I'm receiving some mail addressed to the other account with the same name, then it would be logical to infer that the other account must be receiving some mail meant for my account, and I use that account for some rather personal things that I would not want seen by others. But wouldn't the other user have written to me about the situation?

I suppose the same question could be asked about why I haven't written to him about it, but if someone sends an email to his own address it would just show up in my inbox and not necessarily in his, since I don't know precisely in what way the wires are crossed. I don't seem to be getting all of his mail, just a message from time to time from a medical journal about some paper he has co-authored.

Has anyone encountered anything like this before at Gmail (or at any other efficient provider)?

Does anyone have any comments or advice?

**ReuvenNY** · 28 Apr 2018, 11:03 PM

No necessarily. Sometimes when you give recovery address, they do not verify it.
I have same problem with gmail.

Some people don't remember the exact address given to them so they use mine which is common name (I got it in 2004 as well)

28 Apr 2018, 10:51 PM	#1
communicant Cornerstone of the Community Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 879	mystery of recent doppelgänger account Within the past few weeks, somehow one of my Gmail addresses (the oldest one) has became the recovery or secondary address for an Italian medical researcher with the same user name. I receive an occasional message for him about a research paper he has written. The addresses are identical: <same userID> at gmail.com. First, how could this have happened? Surely when an account is created, if a new user attempts to choose an address that is already in service, he is told to make another selection, correct? (The address of mine that he has duplicated was created in 2004!) Second, if I'm receiving some mail addressed to the other account with the same name, then it would be logical to infer that the other account must be receiving some mail meant for my account, and I use that account for some rather personal things that I would not want seen by others. But wouldn't the other user have written to me about the situation? I suppose the same question could be asked about why I haven't written to him about it, but if someone sends an email to his own address it would just show up in my inbox and not necessarily in his, since I don't know precisely in what way the wires are crossed. I don't seem to be getting all of his mail, just a message from time to time from a medical journal about some paper he has co-authored. Has anyone encountered anything like this before at Gmail (or at any other efficient provider)? Does anyone have any comments or advice?

28 Apr 2018, 11:03 PM	#2
ReuvenNY Moderator Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: New York Posts: 4,259	No necessarily. Sometimes when you give recovery address, they do not verify it. I have same problem with gmail. Some people don't remember the exact address given to them so they use mine which is common name (I got it in 2004 as well)