Domain email question

[Mazkel]

I own an aged LLL.com that I use for email purposes. Most of the email I receive (over 60/day) belongs to individuals that had created an email through the old owner. There are over 1000 different email addresses that I've seen to date. These people use their @LLL.com email for personal and business reasons and I'm privy to personal and financial details.

What I'd like to do is either prevent these people from using these addresses or start charging them a monthly/annual fee.

I've contacted the registrar without success and I've also emailed several of these people but the emails have bounced.

Thoughts appreciated.

 

[katherine]

Did you set catchall ?

Not much you can do, when you buy a domain you buy the whole history with it.
I don't think people are still 'using' their old E-mail addresses, instead the mail traffic must be residual: people subscribe to newsletters or have used the E-mail address to register on websites at some point but of course never unsubscribed.

Not using catchall should help but of course the more generic addresses like info sales etc will probably continue to receive traffic.

You can set autoresponders but many E-mails are automated/sent from an unattended source, so even if you bounce them they will continue to come in...

 

[Jack Gordon]

You can't prevent them from using them, but here is what you can do:

1) Make all but your email addresses bounce
2) Put an autoresponder on bounced messages warning the senders that this email is no longer in service

This way, you will stop getting messages that you shouldn't be seeing, and nobody can accuse you of not doing all you can do to prevent fraud.

 

[Mazkel]

I had originally taken off the catch all but I didn't receive a few emails.

Several of these emails from these people reflect recent purchases or sign ups using their @lll.com account so I presume they're actively using it.

Did you set catchall ?

Not much you can do, when you buy a domain you buy the whole history with it.
I don't think people are still 'using' their old E-mail addresses, instead the mail traffic must be residual: people subscribe to newsletters or have used the E-mail address to register on websites at some point but of course never unsubscribed.

Not using catchall should help but of course the more generic addresses like info sales etc will probably continue to receive traffic.

You can set autoresponders but many E-mails are automated/sent from an unattended source, so even if you bounce them they will continue to come in...

 

[Mazkel]

You can't prevent them from using them, but here is what you can do:

1) Make all but your email addresses bounce
2) Put an autoresponder on bounced messages warning the senders that this email is no longer in service

This way, you will stop getting messages that you shouldn't be seeing, and nobody can accuse you of not doing all you can do to prevent fraud.

Thanks for the suggestions.

 

[Shane]

I woud probably setup a secondary email as a catchall. It should force all the emails to the secondary folder while only presenting the emails you want to your primary.

 

[Jack Gordon]

Are you not in direct control of who does and does not have an email on your domain? Is the MX directing somewhere else?

 

[Mazkel]

Are you not in direct control of who does and does not have an email on your domain? Is the MX directing somewhere else?

That's the issue. These are emails being used from people that signed up with the prior domain owner. I'm trying to figure out how they check and use these emails.

 

[katherine]

You mean that you bought the domain and left the name servers unchanged ? Then the domain still may have a website hosted somewhere, and resolving as normal for whomever is still using it and may be unaware that the domain changed hands.
Is that right ?

 

[Mazkel]

You mean that you bought the domain and left the name servers unchanged ? Then the domain still may have a website hosted somewhere, and resolving as normal for whomever is still using it and may be unaware that the domain changed hands.
Is that right ?

The domain is currently a developed website so the nameservers have been changed.

The domain used to be an image hosting site for many years.

 

[Jack Gordon]

That's the issue. These are emails being used from people that signed up with the prior domain owner. I'm trying to figure out how they check and use these emails.

Well, I can tell you how to find out really quickly

 

[Mazkel]

Well, I can tell you how to find out really quickly

How?

 

[Jack Gordon]

Temporarily shut them down. If they are using those addresses, they'll find you.

If you need some help to figure out how, I am willing to take a look at your settings.

PM me if you want to take me up on that.