These days, many companies ask for your email address. Often you end up with spam in your inbox, or, worse still your email is sold to various other mailing lists. It makes sense to use a disposable email address, at least until you trust a company enough to give them your real address. I recommend these free disposable mail services:
SpamGourmet
SpamGourmet is a free service that allows you to create an unlimited number of disposable email addresses. After a short set-up process you’ll be able to create a disposal email like this:
notreal.greyone@recursor.net
This address will forward to your real email address. I’ve been using the service for years now and it works seamlessly. Here how to do it:
For example, say an online store called “Strange Company” asks for your email address, you could give them this address:
sc.greyone@recursor.net
The “sc” part can be any word, I’m just using the initials of the store for convenience.
This disposable email address will work three times, and the emails will be forwarded to your real email address. After three messages, the disposal address will cease to work. You can also change the number of email that are sent (see the SpamGourmet website for more information).
This technique can be used in the offline world too — basically whenever someone asks for your email address.
Instead of using the domain “recursor.net” you can can use any of these domains too:
- spamgourmet.net
- spamgourmet.org
- spamcannon.net
- antichef.com
- antichef.net
- neverbox.com
- dfgh.net
- spameater.org
- xoxy.net
Trashmail
Trashmail works in a similar way to SpamGourmet, but offers a few more options, such as a web interface, a Firefox Add-On and various other features listed here. There is also a paid Trashmail service which is ad-free and gives you for more sophisticated mailbox control, and online support.
Currently there are 11 domain names available which can be used for TrashMail:
- @trashmail.net
- @trashmail.me
- @trashmail.at
- @trash-mail.at
- @rcpt.at
- @kurzepost.de
- @wegwerfmail.de
- @wegwerfmail.net
- @wegwerfmail.org
- @objectmail.com
- @proxymail.eu
Very useful article. I think i will try some of your recommendations. thx.
Yopmail.com works well too.
Mailinator.com is also an awesome alternative. It stores any email sent to their domain([any_email_address]@mailinator.com) and you can pick it up from there site within an hour or so.