riven1950 wrote:
I do shop at Home Depot and Lowes, they do not and will never get my email or phone number from me.. I personally do not wish to wade through hundreds of emails or phone calls from the stores I purchase from.
I agree with you but as a licensed contractor with accounts at both Lowes and HD it is kind of hard to avoid giving out basic info which includes phone number and e-mail.
I received the same letter that OP received. Also got the CC breach letter from HD back months ago.
Unlike OP I have not had a big increase in spam e-mails, at least so far.
I get a weekly e-mail from HD which I usually just scan for deals and delete. I don't think Lowes has ever sent me an e-mail unsolicited.
Bottom line is it could happen to any retailer, and if you read the fine print on most websites you deal with you agree to a lot more than you think. They may not sell your info but almost all share your e-mail with their " partners ".
Business "accounts" with ANY BRICKS AND STICKS ALSO DO NOT "NEED" YOUR "EMAIL", PERIOD.
Phone number I can understand however there is no reason for any store to HAVE TO CONTACT YOU VIA EMAIL if there is an issue with your account. In fact I dump ANY unsolicited Email from anyone I specifically do not have in my Email LIST.
Even BANKS DO NOT REQUIRE your Email for business accounts therefore no other business should be requiring it as part of your business account..
You wouldn't ever dream of opening an Email from your bank, would you? Pretty much every scammer uses this way to scam many people EVERY DAY. They send a spoof Email to your address loaded with an malware attachment or link..
You open the Email or link and you get either Malware or sent to another spoofed website where you ultimately are asked personal info like account numbers, SS number, address, passwords in order to confirm your account of "fix" a "problem with your account..
I am simply amazed how lax people have gotten as they make technology more and more of their daily life.. They give out Emails and phone numbers like they are water..
I give out my Email addresses only to folks I personally know or a FEW businesses in which I would like a order conformation via Email.
I simply do not want to wade through hundreds of Emails a day..
After a good 15+ years I only get 1 scam/spam email a month or sometimes not at all for MONTHS AT A TIME.
