Occasionally USPS sends me pictures of other people's mail • Hacker News Board

Re: Occasionally USPS sends me pictures of other people's mail

#101

Post by wcoenen » Mon, Jul 21, 2025, 7:22 PM UTC

1a527dd5 wrote: post #10

I have a version of this; I have the email {{popular-asian-surname}}@gmail.com and I've seen _everything_. I've had many many bank statements from India. I've had someone in California order a brand new BMW and got the details for collection. I've had paypal invoices and statements (this is one funny because they refuse to action the delink). I used to reach out and tell them I didn't sign up for their service. But h…

I once got an email about the funeral arrangements for somebody's mother. I know this person very well, because he uses my email address for everything. I know what internet subscription he has. I know where he bought his e-bike. Where he goes on holiday. Etc.

And he's actually not the only person doing this! As far as I can tell, the only unusual thing about my Gmail is that it's relatively short and has no numbers. I suspect people just forget to add the digits at the end of their own address.

Re: Occasionally USPS sends me pictures of other people's mail

#102

Post by UncleOxidant » Mon, Jul 21, 2025, 7:31 PM UTC

PopePompus wrote: post #70

duxup wrote: post #2

I wonder he he also receives that mail or was going to but someone caught it? My post office for a good year was horrendous about delivering me my neighbor's mail. I felt like a Jr. Mail Carrier in training ;) Last few years they've been SPOT on. I tried informed delivery but honestly it's more of a hassle for me as my wife says "this should have arrived today" and of course it doesn't so she thinks it's stolen and .…

Hand-delivering mail intended for my neighbors, that was mistakenly placed in my mailbox, is how I met most of my neighbors. The sloppy USPS is an important part of my social life.

USPS has a few times delivered items to our address which were intended for the recipient 1 block north with the same street number. It's how I've started to wonder if they might be Russian mafia all over there in their track suits.

Re: Occasionally USPS sends me pictures of other people's mail

#103

Post by mv4 » Mon, Jul 21, 2025, 7:38 PM UTC

Every time this happened to me, it was due to incorrect interpretation of the number portion of my street address. Usually confusing 0 and 8.

For example, my address is 150 Main Street and it would send me photos of mail addressed to 158 Main Street.

Re: Occasionally USPS sends me pictures of other people's mail

#104

Post by fatih-erikli-cg » Mon, Jul 21, 2025, 7:38 PM UTC

[dead]

Re: Occasionally USPS sends me pictures of other people's mail

#105

Post by jer0me » Mon, Jul 21, 2025, 8:02 PM UTC

anonu wrote: post #36

1a527dd5 wrote: post #10

I have a version of this; I have the email {{popular-asian-surname}}@gmail.com and I've seen _everything_. I've had many many bank statements from India. I've had someone in California order a brand new BMW and got the details for collection. I've had paypal invoices and statements (this is one funny because they refuse to action the delink). I used to reach out and tell them I didn't sign up for their service. But h…

This happens to me too - mostly from people in South America: i get their phone bills, receipts, etc... And now the knock on effect of spam is crushing my inbox. I know its spam related to these emails because its all in Spanish. I am thinking of abandoning my gmail to something new.

Make a filter for emails that contain “ñ”

Re: Occasionally USPS sends me pictures of other people's mail

#106

Post by sntxrr » Mon, Jul 21, 2025, 8:07 PM UTC

mixdup wrote: post #81

1a527dd5 wrote: post #10

I have a version of this; I have the email {{popular-asian-surname}}@gmail.com and I've seen _everything_. I've had many many bank statements from India. I've had someone in California order a brand new BMW and got the details for collection. I've had paypal invoices and statements (this is one funny because they refuse to action the delink). I used to reach out and tell them I didn't sign up for their service. But h…

I have first initial last name @gmail.com and it is a VERY common English language last name. This phenomenon got so bad I just abandoned that address and account. At some point you can't keep up with it, and marking legit email as spam has consequences of now MY email is getting marked as spam

I did as well. The things I've seen for other people..

Re: Occasionally USPS sends me pictures of other people's mail

#107

Post by fortran77 » Mon, Jul 21, 2025, 8:14 PM UTC

1a527dd5 wrote: post #10

I have a version of this; I have the email {{popular-asian-surname}}@gmail.com and I've seen _everything_. I've had many many bank statements from India. I've had someone in California order a brand new BMW and got the details for collection. I've had paypal invoices and statements (this is one funny because they refuse to action the delink). I used to reach out and tell them I didn't sign up for their service. But h…

The problem is if you are also a user of these services you can't mark as junk because you'll stop geting paypal, bank, airline, car rental emails, etc.

I have the same issue. My gmail is {{my last name}}@gmail.com Just my last name. It's not that common, but there are about 500 people with it according to US Census data.

Re: Occasionally USPS sends me pictures of other people's mail

#108

Post by GauntletWizard » Mon, Jul 21, 2025, 8:29 PM UTC

I often also actually get other people's mail. Not every day, not even every month, but a couple times a year.

I don't consider this a vulnerability, per se. This is the the usual level of uncertainty when dealing with physical objects.

Re: Occasionally USPS sends me pictures of other people's mail

#109

Post by manithree » Mon, Jul 21, 2025, 8:30 PM UTC

7e wrote: post #11

You have it easy! Occasionally USPS delivers me other people's mail!

USPS, FedEx, UPS, and Amazon all do this, but USPS is by far the worst here.

There's a new (well, it was several years ago) townhome in the town to the west that has exactly the same street address as mine, just a different city and ZIP code (just one digit different). We got their mail, packages, etc. a LOT for years. The best was when we got home and FedEx had dropped of a set of 4 overnighted tires on our porch.

The townhome is a rental, and sometimes, even when Amazon sends me a photo of their front porch, the townhome tenants claim they didn't get anything of ours. Either they're theives or they have a lot of porch pirates.

Re: Occasionally USPS sends me pictures of other people's mail

#110

Post by streetnoodles » Mon, Jul 21, 2025, 8:36 PM UTC

wcoenen wrote: post #101

1a527dd5 wrote: post #10

I have a version of this; I have the email {{popular-asian-surname}}@gmail.com and I've seen _everything_. I've had many many bank statements from India. I've had someone in California order a brand new BMW and got the details for collection. I've had paypal invoices and statements (this is one funny because they refuse to action the delink). I used to reach out and tell them I didn't sign up for their service. But h…

I once got an email about the funeral arrangements for somebody's mother. I know this person very well, because he uses my email address for everything. I know what internet subscription he has. I know where he bought his e-bike. Where he goes on holiday. Etc. And he's actually not the only person doing this! As far as I can tell, the only unusual thing about my Gmail is that it's relatively short and has no numbers.…

I get a lot of random email for other people with the same first initial/last name as me. I had one specific person using my email for a lot of things.

I just canceled her membership in a bowling league, and when the league reached out to ask why, I told them I have no idea who is. I stopped getting email meant for her after that.