I have a Gmail account with the format [email protected], but there's another person out there who has a similar name with an email of [email protected]. I've noticed that sometimes I receive emails that are correctly addressed to them, but somehow they end up in my inbox. Can anyone shed some light on what's going on here?
3 Answers
It looks like the other person might have an email that includes some numbers or variations you’re not seeing. If they tell someone their email and it gets written down incorrectly, that could also lead to this confusion. Just remember, Gmail disregards those dots completely!
I've had my Gmail account for over 20 years, and issues like this pop up often. People may type the wrong address or think they can create a Gmail account that doesn’t exist. It’s quite common with similarly-named individuals, so you're not alone! Just a heads up, I suggest replying to senders to let them know they have the wrong address.
Gmail doesn’t recognize dots in accounts, so all variations like johnsmith, john.smith, or j.o.h.n.s.m.i.t.h point to the same inbox. That's likely why emails are slipping into yours; they might be intended for the other person but sent to you instead because of how Gmail handles dots.

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