* * * * *
                                        
             How? How do people not know their own email addresses?
                                        
I'm still receiving emails from strangers [1] who for some reason or another,
think their email address is “seanconner@gmail.com” (no [2], really [3], I
[4] get [5] so [6] many [7] emails [8]). This time, it's from someone who's
TikTok account was accessed on a new device:

> From: TikTok <noreply@account.tiktok.com>
> To: seanconner@gmail.com
> Subject: New device login detected
> Date: Tue, 03 Sep 2024 04:56:22 +0000 (UTC)
> 
> Hi xs,
> 
> We’re writing to inform you that we detected a login to your account from a
> new device.
> 
> When: 09/03 00:56 EDT
>  Device: iPhone 11
>  Near: Louisiana
> 
> If this was you, you can ignore this message.
> 
> If this wasn’t you, open the TikTok app and go to “Settings and privacy” >
> “Security and login” > “Security alerts” and review unauthorized logins. If
> you’re unable to access your account, contact TikTok support [9].
> 
> You can also set up 2-step verification to secure your account by going to
> “Security and login” > “2-step verification”.
>  Learn more about 2-step verification [10] 
> 
> This is an automatically generated email.
>  Replies to this email address aren’t monitored.
> 
> This email was generated for xs
>  Privacy Policy [11]
>  TikTok 5800 Bristol Pkwy, Culver City, CA 90230
> 

It's not a phishing email as the raw message doesn't contain a link to
“login” to TikTok, and the links that are in the email all point to the
TikTok domain. So I'm at a loss. “xs” created a TikTok account, using my
email address … 

Why?

I don't know why this should surprise me any more, but it still does. I just
… why? How? What's the angle here?

I can't even contact anyone, because TikTok send email from an address that
isn't checked. I don't know who “xs” is, nor do I have any way to contact
“xs” to inform them of their error.

Sigh.

[1] gopher://gopher.conman.org/0Phlog:2017/11/07.1
[2] gopher://gopher.conman.org/0Phlog:2021/02/24.1
[3] gopher://gopher.conman.org/0Phlog:2021/03/11.1
[4] gopher://gopher.conman.org/0Phlog:2023/03/01.1
[5] gopher://gopher.conman.org/0Phlog:2023/03/01.1
[6] gopher://gopher.conman.org/0Phlog:2023/09/09.1
[7] gopher://gopher.conman.org/0Phlog:2023/09/19.1
[8] gopher://gopher.conman.org/0Phlog:2023/10/09.1
[9] https://www.tiktok.com/legal/report/feedback
[10] https://support.tiktok.com/en/safety-hc/account-and-user-safety/account-safety
[11] https://www.tiktok.com/legal/privacy-policy

Email author at sean@conman.org