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Ask HN: Why would Google email me a data export for a different account?

11 pointsby rvzxover 2 years ago
This afternoon I got an email that my google data archive was ready.<p>I didn&#x27;t ask for a data archive.<p>I checked google takeout and it didn&#x27;t list any completed exports.<p>I looked at the email and it seemed legitimate with one exception: when I looked at the link for downloading the data the url had the wrong email address in the query string.<p>After looking into this for a bit I then noticed that I also received an email from google about restoring access to a google account (that I received because someone provided this as the contact email address for an appeal, according to the email).<p>I can understand how the email about appealing for access might happen, but how&#x2F;why would I receive an email about a data archive for the wrong account?<p>Has anyone seen something like this before? It&#x27;s like someone thinks my email address is one of theirs?<p>I&#x27;ve changed my password just in case and am looking into how to report this to google.<p>Any next steps you&#x27;d recommend?

7 comments

GauntletWizardover 2 years ago
Google emails my address and recovery address when my takeout downloads are ready. I have bimonthly takeouts scheduled. I&#x27;m guessing that it is a spam attempt, or possibly just some idiot who set a misspelling as his backup account.
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dontbenebbyover 2 years ago
Posting it to HN is probaby reporting it to Google, in a manner.<p>Do you have MFA enabled?<p>I used to have issues with folks who&#x27;d obtain passwords to MFAless accounts and fuck around, but it&#x27;s been a while since someone did... that.
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iAlzabenover 2 years ago
Yes, not the exact issue, but I get emails from Google on one account, although it is supposed to be sent to another account (both are mine)..<p>Some times it is regarding to Google store, so I tried to report that to customer service more than 3 times.. They were never helpful..<p>This is still happening to me, and it freeks me out every time I receive an email on the wrong account! I hope someone from google is reading this and willing to take action!
jtokophover 2 years ago
Feels to me like a new malware distribution scheme. Make it look like it’s the targets own files being delivered by Google.
rvzxover 2 years ago
After thinking about it a while I decided to send an email to the address that was included in the data archive email. Whether that was a good idea or not I don&#x27;t know.<p>But! I got a 550 Requested action not taken response!<p>&gt; Your message wasn&#x27;t delivered to {redacted}@gmail.com because the address couldn&#x27;t be found, or is unable to receive mail.<p>&gt; 550 5.2.1 The email account that you tried to reach is disabled.<p>Kinda weird. But maybe it was disabled because that account was doing weird things?
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lakotasapaover 2 years ago
Followup: I did do takeout recently and had to redo several times bc one of the zip files keeps &quot;corrupting?&quot;. Me thinks they may have a queuing or race condition issues. Where it&#x27;s obviously unable to maintain continuity in its endeavor.
lakotasapaover 2 years ago
Some ugliness with googl in general as they seem to foul up all the time. Although didn&#x27;t get what you got, I did today receive a notice of Find My Phone which is tied to my most prized account and used ever so discreetly. So got into a small bit of panic. But the pain in the ass is getting a out of blue loud middle of the night announcement almost daily where one of my googl display would say, &quot;hum...I didn&#x27;t get that try again later&quot; WTF? no one on my household said anything nor any of my automations triggered a thing during those times. Scares the sh*t of us hoping it didn&#x27;t say that in our baby&#x27;s room!!! Ugh! It&#x27;s the little things that makes using Google&#x27;s services so painful.