It is common to have to give your email address to access a service or make purchases on the net. This widespread practice is unfortunately not without risk. Some publishers do not hesitate to resell the email addresses collected on their site to marketing companies or worse to spammers. To avoid this situation, why not use a disposable e-mail address.
What is a disposable e-mail ?
Are you tired of receiving hundreds of unsolicited messages (spam) every day? Are you wondering how spammers managed to get your email address? You should know that some online services or e-commerce sites sell the data collected from their forms to external companies specialized in emailing.
As a result, your email address is flooded with all kinds of messages. It goes from emails promoting drugs to methods to become a billionaire in 5 days without leaving home.
To avoid being targeted by these marketing companies or spammers, some Internet users use temporary e-mail addresses. As its name suggests, disposable e-mail is a service that allows you to receive mail at an e-mail address that will automatically self-destruct after a few hours.
Thus, when you subscribe to a discussion group, make a purchase on a website or download software, you will no longer have to give your real address but the one of your disposable e-mail. Your inbox will be protected from advertisements, unnecessary notifications, junk mail and all types of spam.
How to create a disposable e-mail?
If you are an active user on the Internet, you know that it is almost impossible to take advantage of the countless resources of the web without opening an account. Whether you want to ask a question on a forum, create an account on social networks or download files, you will always be asked to provide an email address. To avoid this address falling into the hands of people who do not respect the established rules, you can opt for a temporary mailbox.
Unlike traditional email services, disposable emails do not require any prior registration. The address is generated automatically without opening an account or even creating a password. On the other hand, the messages remain accessible for a defined period of time. Depending on the service chosen, this can be from a few hours to a few days.
The services offering the creation of a disposable email address generally have interfaces that look like they are straight out of the 90s. But don't be fooled. Behind this minimalist design is a messaging service accessible to all. It only takes a few seconds to get a fully functional email address.
There are dozens of free or paid disposable email services. Some offer more or less advanced features such as the ability to download an important email on your smartphone or computer in a few clicks.
Why you should never use temporary e-mail?
So, certainly the temporary e-mail is the most efficient solution to protect your personal address from spam, but it can also reserve some bad surprises. You have to keep in mind that this service has some risks.
Disposable mailboxes are automatically generated without a password. So once your mail is created, anyone who knows the address has the potential to view your messages. It is therefore better to reserve this solution for online services that do not require any personal information (date of birth, telephone number, etc.). Otherwise, you could be exposed to serious problems.
Similarly, a malicious person could ask for a login renewal via the forgotten password option of a website. This would allow them to access one of your online accounts and then proceed to change the password and the email address associated with it.
Do not use disposable email to register for sites or online services that you intend to log into regularly. In case of a problem, the service providers would have no way to contact you. Compared to a traditional email address, the disposable mailbox is designed to be deleted automatically after a certain period of time. You will then no longer be able to access your inbox.
In this situation, it is better to opt for alternative solutions. Most email services offer the creation of personalized aliases that you can delete when you no longer need them.
