opening a new email account

[Thailandnotes]

Any suggestions for a web based email account...alternative to the big guys...
gmail, bing, opera, yahoo, outlook (hotmail)?

don't need much storage,
preferably free, add-free.

maybe too much to ask....

[jpatter666]

Re: opening a new email account

Any suggestions for a web based email account...alternative to the big guys...
gmail, bing, opera, yahoo, outlook (hotmail)?

don't need much storage,
preferably free, add-free.

maybe too much to ask....

Often your network provider offers one free of charge (they don't usually advertise this). You can check.

Otherwise, what are you needing? Storage, security, anonymity?

[swgprop]

Re: opening a new email account

Any suggestions for a web based email account...alternative to the big guys...
gmail, bing, opera, yahoo, outlook (hotmail)?

don't need much storage,
preferably free, add-free.

maybe too much to ask....

If you have an interest in privacy you might consider Riseup .

[Thailandnotes]

Re: opening a new email account

Otherwise, what are you needing? Storage, security, anonymity?

Security.

[shiny!]

Re: opening a new email account

inbox.com

They have free and paid accounts. They don't scan your emails to show you ads like google does. Lots of storage.

I looked at a number of super-private anonymous email services but from what I can tell, there ain't no such thing. TPTB can crack any server and any encryption if they really want to.

[Thailandnotes]

Re: opening a new email account

I've checked out Inbox. May go with them.

Beside fabric and books, my wife and I order almost nothing online.

I'm mainly trying to prevent identity theft.

Repeated hacking at yahoo, attempted hacking at gmail, and a credit card that has been compromised several times in the last three years have sent me searching for alternatives.

[GRG55]

Re: opening a new email account

I've checked out Inbox. May go with them.

Beside fabric and books, my wife and I order almost nothing online.

I'm mainly trying to prevent identity theft.

Repeated hacking at yahoo, attempted hacking at gmail, and a credit card that has been compromised several times in the last three years have sent me searching for alternatives.

I don't ever put my credit card info online through an email or anything else. Prefer to use PayPal, or call it in over the phone.

I have a separate internet card with a deliberately VERY low limit that is specifically set up by my bank for electronic transactions if PayPal not possible.

[Thailandnotes]

Re: opening a new email account

I don't ever put my credit card info online through an email or anything else. Prefer to use PayPal, or call it in over the phone.

I have a separate internet card with a deliberately VERY low limit that is specifically set up by my bank for electronic transactions if PayPal not possible.

Pretty much the same here. We only order from 2 places, Amazon and one other site using a card with a low limit. Both times my credit card info was stolen it was at point of sale, stolen by an employee. Both times, somebody used that info to try and get a credit report, one time foiled by Visa, one time foiled by me. I've never sent any personal info via email, but someone who has hacked your email can follow your trail and get info from airlines, etc, and most seem to target the big providers like Yahoo. Had big problems with paypal phishing and closed that account long ago. Know several people who have had their paypal accounts hacked and that seemed much more of a headache than a compromised credit card. I would only give my credit card info over the phone in dire circumstances. My recently retired DA brother said you wouldn't believe how rampant white collar crime is. According to him the FBI won't even consider something involving less than half a million dollars, and that state and local governments have almost no resources to fight against it. Just trying to hunker down.

[shiny!]

Re: opening a new email account

It's been my experience that most mom and pop enterprises don't have a clue how to protect CC data. They do things like write the numbers down on paper (including the security code on the back which is NEVER supposed to be written down) and stick it in their pocket to process later. That's a BIG no-no! Or they submit the data to the payment gateway using trojan-infested computers that log their keystrokes.

I no longer let my card out of my sight at restaurants. When waiters want to take it away to process it, I politely say "no" and walk it up to the cash register myself. Then I watch it like a hawk to make sure no one has a camera phone aimed at it (saw this at one restaurant) and that they don't swipe it more than once.

Every business that accepts credit cards is supposed to follow Payment Card Industry security protocols, but it's merely window dressing. The merchant service providers don't give any training or followup to the vendors to ensure that they are PCI compliant. Neither do the credit card companies. There should be a well-advertised toll-free number consumers can call to report vendors using bad CC procedures, but there isn't. As long as issuers can collect their transaction fees they don't care if their customers get ripped off.

[jk]

Re: opening a new email account

iirc, at least in the u.s., you are only liable for up to $50 of fraudulent use of your credit. thus, cc co.s are QUITE concerned about misuse. otoh, often it's the merchant who accepted the fraudulent card who's left on the hook. i know that i've gotten inquiry calls or emails from my credit card companies at various times, checking to see if a use is fraudulent. occasionally i've had charges denied until i phone the company to verify the charge. when i was helping one of my kids move into a new place we bought some things at ikea. when the cashier asked for zip code, i thought it was a marketing thing and gave my daughter's new zip code. the charge was denied and the credit card i was using invalidated for all further use until i called to explain the mix-up.

[GRG55]

Re: opening a new email account

iirc, at least in the u.s., you are only liable for up to $50 of fraudulent use of your credit. thus, cc co.s are QUITE concerned about misuse. otoh, often it's the merchant who accepted the fraudulent card who's left on the hook. i know that i've gotten inquiry calls or emails from my credit card companies at various times, checking to see if a use is fraudulent. occasionally i've had charges denied until i phone the company to verify the charge. when i was helping one of my kids move into a new place we bought some things at ikea. when the cashier asked for zip code, i thought it was a marketing thing and gave my daughter's new zip code. the charge was denied and the credit card i was using invalidated for all further use until i called to explain the mix-up.

I think the credit card companies are trying to do what they can. As most here know I travel to a lot of "unusual places and funny countries" and I always call my credit card company up in advance and give them the dates I will be in each place during each trip...otherwise they also deny the charges.

[davidstvz]

Re: opening a new email account

I used to use debit everywhere... a decade ago. Now I just use that at the ATM. I don't worry so much about credit cards since banks seem to bend over backwards to refund any spurious charges. I've had my credit card info stolen at shady online vendors a couple of times. Maybe I should be more careful about identity theft though. Regarding direct connections to a bank account... there is paypal but also cell phone, electric bill and cable bill. Each of those has a direct connection to my bank account. That might be something to worry about.

[jk]

Re: opening a new email account

i cancelled my paypall account because i felt creepy about any entity having the ability to directly debit my bank account,

[Fiat Currency]

Re: opening a new email account

I think the credit card companies are trying to do what they can. As most here know I travel to a lot of "unusual places and funny countries" and I always call my credit card company up in advance and give them the dates I will be in each place during each trip...otherwise they also deny the charges.

FYI - You can do that online now. Sitting in Hawaii right now and activated 3 credit cards from 3 different banks online. No issues whatsoever. Oddly enough, US customs for the first time I can remember, not only asked me how much $USD cash I was carrying - but also asked me to count it in front of her. I fail to see the relevance in that since the declaration form clearly asks if you are carrying more than $10K. Like my other thread - we are slowly witnessing the forced death of cash.

[Thailandnotes]

Re: opening a new email account

...we are slowly witnessing the forced death of cash.

I think until the American CC companies get their acts together in the states with chips in the cards and more hook ins to moblie phones, people will start using cash more often. (Lots of stories along those lines) Many banks in Asia, now SMS you every time you make a charge, use an ATM, or try to move money in your account online.

That said...last night a friend who sold a motorcycle just before he left for England. He was carrying 8,000 pounds and detected by a currency sniffing dog on arrival.