In the story on how one’s email address can give people a poor impression of you, I mentioned this little extra tip:

But I also have any number of other addresses you like, specifically because I own williamgallagher.com. Yesterday I set up a new address for an author I’m working with to send me text. Earlier in the week I used a groupon offer but I signed up as groupon@williamgallagher.com. If I get a sudden spike in spam and it’s all to groupon@williamgallagher.com, their mailing list policy is rumbled and I switch that address off.

Don’t put people off with your email address – William Gallagher, The Blank Screen (27 June 2014)

The truth is that you can send to any name you like so long as it ends in @williamgallagher.com. Try it: email isthisforreal@williamgallagher.com or thickeejit@williamgallagher.com. I’ll get it.

So that’s how I’ve seen that this week I’ve been receiving emails like this:

Would you be interested in email list of any industry specific Top key decision makers?

The List contains Opt-in business and personal email & Phone number, Contact name, Physical address and mailing address

List format – Excel/CSV

Accuracy is guaranteed – as per industry standards

You can acquire Top key decision makers with complete verified contact details and business email addresses from following industries…

I’ve had that three times this week, all to different people with just two things in common: their email address ends in @williamgallagher and they don’t exist.

I’ve emailed the company back pointing out the mistake but so far they’ve ignored it. I get quite a bit of this and I go to some trouble to make sure the sender knows they ain’t gonna get a reply back from who they hope. But this particular firm is ignoring me.

Which means you have to question their standards as well as their accuracy.