If there was anywhere I thought would have more sense than to pass on email addresses, it would be the 10 Downing Street petitions system. But no, they too have leaked my address – the tell-tale method of mine to use a different alias for every website points the finger again. Now don’t get me wrong, I have almost no respect for any arm of the government, but the system is run by MySociety so I’m quite surprised.

Dear webmaster at PMO.gov.uk,

As the owner of the gravitystorm.co.uk domain, I frequently choose different email addresses to use on different websites, so that I can trace who is providing my email addresses to third parties. The email address petitions@[redacted].co.uk has been used exclusively on the “petitions.pm.gov.uk” website. I’m sure you can see how I can be certain that it is only you, and I, who have knowledge of this alias.

Can you please inform me as to whether you, or your contractors for the site (“MySociety”) are responsible for passing on my address to the fraudsters who emailed me (see below). I can provide the full messages that I received today if this helps in any way.

Please note that I am fully aware that you have nothing to do with the spam itself, but you are quite obviously leaking my email address to third parties without my permission.

Many thanks,
Andy Allan

——– Original Message ——–
Subject: LOTTERY WINNING NOTIFICATION{CONGRATULATIONS}
Date: Wed, 12 Dec 2007 06:32:37 -0800
From: UK COVENTRY PROMOTIONS <coventrylotterypromotions @coventrylotto.com>
Reply-To: covpayer34@aim.com
To: petitions@[redacted].co.uk

I doubt this will get anywhere, but I may as well fish for an apology (and who knows, it might even prod them into fixing whichever hole these email addresses are leaking from).