this post was submitted on 21 Nov 2024
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Privacy

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So I was checking my Proton Mail inbox, as I usually do, when I came across a hilarious email in my spam folder.

Your Mailbox storage is 99% full

You are currently using 4852.3 MB of 5000.00 MB available

Don't risk losing new incoming messages, Follow below to increase your email account storage.

Increase Your Email Storage

I was very careful not to click on any links in the email.

I was not fooled even for a second. It was impossible for me to have run out of storage. You know why? Because I paid for a Proton Unlimited subscription a few months ago, and I have more than enough storage!

The fact that I got this email means someone got access to my email address, which makes it hard to narrow it down because I used to sign up for a LOT of services. I've started using Addy to create new aliases, but I really wish I had done that sooner, so I could see who sold me out.

Here's a lesson: always use an email alias, so that when/if this happens, you'll know who leaked your email address!

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 days ago

I don't know I thought it was pretty good.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

The fake progress bar isn't even 99% full, which is funny. Even funner: 4852.3 MB out of 5000 MB is only 97%

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 days ago (1 children)

The gouverment stole 505 gb

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 days ago

Goobeaurmant

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

I use my own domain and catch all. So signupatservice1 will be at [email protected] and so on easy to check whats what

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 days ago (1 children)

That's why I don't use Proton, but Startmail. Their email aliases system is perfect. Haven't got any trouble so far. Is this a common problem with Proton?

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 days ago

I feel like this is provider agnostic. If you signup to a bunch of different newsletters (or anything else really), at some point your email will get out there.

Proton has email aliasing via SimpleLogin which I have found to be really good.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 3 days ago

Maybe I'm desensitized because our group address is published in multiple places on the web, but that email is not even slightly noteworthy. This November we've already gotten 7 emails that said our mailbox was full or we needed to change its password.

To me this is just background noise of the Internet.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 3 days ago

With Proton Unlimited you have access to SimpleLogin as well.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 3 days ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 days ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 days ago

I like how for different people it can be the beginning OR the end of that ID that tips them off.

[–] [email protected] 40 points 3 days ago (2 children)
[–] [email protected] 8 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

I have a laptop with more than an unlimited SSD. It's not that expensive anymore.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 3 days ago (2 children)

To fill up 510gb worth of emails would take an eternity

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 days ago

Not for my work colleagues. For them email is something for transferring files and re requesting the files when they cant find the original email.

[–] [email protected] 23 points 3 days ago

The storage space is shared with Proton Drive

[–] [email protected] 31 points 3 days ago

Looks like one of the better attempts, TBH. I've seen some poor ones over the years.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 days ago

I got a similar phishing mail as well though not for my primary email account. Most of them just redirect to a similar looking login UI and ask the user to enter password.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

Duck email offers kinda the same idea of anonymous emails for free. If you use their extension you can generate one-off subsidiary random accounts to be deleted later after use. You can do this on the spot, a single click while filling whatever registration form, really convenient.