I'm wondering if it's possible to set up an email account on the same service using a username that's already taken, but just by changing the capitalization of some letters. For example, could I create [email protected] when I already have [email protected]? I got a weird email that looked suspicious, and the only difference was the capitalization, so I'm curious if that could be the same person or if someone is trying to impersonate them.
4 Answers
No way, emails aren't case-sensitive. If you have an account already, no variations like changing the casing will create a new one. If you're concerned about impersonation, it’s best to check with the person directly or be cautious about suspicious emails!
Technically, yes, email specifications allow for case sensitivity, but in practice, it doesn't work like that. Most email systems, including Gmail, are case-insensitive. This means that [email protected] and [email protected] would go to the same inbox, making it a real hassle and a potential phishing risk. It's better to be cautious!
Yeah, that’s true! Some systems may have case-sensitive configurations, but realistically, most people won't have that issue.
You can’t do that, but if you want to create variants, you can use tags like adding +yourwebsite to your email (e.g., [email protected]). This way, you can filter emails more easily, especially to check who’s selling your info later on.
Short answer: No, you can't create a different email address with just casing changes. Email addresses ignore capitalization and periods. For instance, you can’t create something like [email protected], either, since Gmail disregards dots in addresses too. It’s just not how email systems are designed.
But I’ve heard about people using different variations of their emails to track spam. Is that really effective?
Good point! You can do tricks like adding +tags (like [email protected]) to manage subscriptions without creating new accounts.
So, with most services being case-insensitive, what can someone do if they see different capitalization on an email they received? Seems kinda shady!