Using email aliases to avoid Spam
Wondering if using an email alias is worth it? If you ever noticed that soon after signing up for a service, you've been inundated with Spam, then you might want to consider it. Spammers work hard collating lists of email addresses and they have innumerable sources. The best way to minimize how much Spam you receive is to ensure that your email address never gets on to one of these lists.
To help you with this, Topmail offer a feature called Aliases. An email alias is a throwaway email address that you can use to sign up for services or offers, without giving anyone your real email address. This is a great way to avoid ending up on a spam list.
How Email Aliases Work
From a practical point of view an Email Alias is a different email address that still comes into your Topmail inbox. If you start getting spam to an Alias address, you can simply delete the Alias! The Spam will then stop arriving. Your normal email to your main address will be unaffected. For example, let's say you want to sign up to an online offer to win a car. You might trust the person running the offer, but you feel like they may add you to a Marketing list or send you newsletters. Instead of signing up with your Topmail address, you could sign up using "win_a_car@nym.topmail.com". Then, if you happen to win you'll get the notification to your email. If, on the other hand, all you get is spammy emails with other offers, you delete the alias "win_a_car@nym.topmail.com" and that email stops arriving.
How to Set One Up
To setup an Email Alias follow these steps:
- Login to your account
- Select "Preferences" in the main menu
- Select the "Email Aliases" tab
- Select "Add Alias"
- Type the username you want, i.e. "win_a_car"
- Click "Save"
You'll then see the Alias listed on the screen. Any email sent to that alias will now arrive in your Inbox. If you want to delete later, return to the same screen and click the "Delete this Alias" link next to the specific address.
How Many Email Aliases Can You Have?
There is no fixed limit to the number of Alias addresses you can use. They're intended as a convenience and we expect users to use as many as they like within reason. Sometimes the name you want may not be available and you may need to choose again.
Stay Safe when using unfamiliar services
Remember the key thing is not to give away your real email address lightly. Protecting your identity online is a key part of your personal security and privacy. Email Aliases are an extremely useful tool in achieving that goal.