this post was submitted on 21 Nov 2024
151 points (96.9% liked)

Privacy

32103 readers
598 users here now

A place to discuss privacy and freedom in the digital world.

Privacy has become a very important issue in modern society, with companies and governments constantly abusing their power, more and more people are waking up to the importance of digital privacy.

In this community everyone is welcome to post links and discuss topics related to privacy.

Some Rules

Related communities

much thanks to @gary_host_laptop for the logo design :)

founded 5 years ago
MODERATORS
 

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!

top 20 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] Charger8232@lemmy.ml 8 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day 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%

[–] Jimmycrackcrack@lemmy.ml 4 points 1 day ago

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

[–] Jolteon@lemmy.zip 41 points 2 days ago (2 children)
[–] sic_semper_tyrannis@lemmy.today 18 points 2 days ago (2 children)

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

[–] grandel@lemmy.ml 4 points 1 day 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.

[–] cyberwolfie@lemmy.ml 23 points 2 days ago

The storage space is shared with Proton Drive

[–] tomsh@lemmy.ml 8 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

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

[–] cyberpunk007@lemmy.ca 29 points 2 days ago

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

[–] cyberwolfie@lemmy.ml 18 points 2 days ago

With Proton Unlimited you have access to SimpleLogin as well.

[–] RandomVideos@programming.dev 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)

The gouverment stole 505 gb

[–] Kazumara@discuss.tchncs.de 14 points 2 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.

[–] Lawn_and_disorder@hexbear.net 5 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

I use my own domain and catch all. So signupatservice1 will be at signupatservice1@mydomain.ml and so on easy to check whats what

[–] TheDrink@hexbear.net 9 points 2 days ago (1 children)
[–] user224@lemmy.sdf.org 4 points 2 days ago (1 children)
[–] boonhet@lemm.ee 3 points 1 day ago

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

[–] iturnedintoanewt@lemm.ee 10 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 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.

[–] davidebro@lemmy.ml 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?

[–] governorkeagan@lemdro.id 6 points 1 day 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.

[–] kirk781@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 2 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.