Misdirected e-mail:

Question: I received an e-mail which is not addressed to my name. Is the mail system defective?

Answer: With a great probability, the security is not the problem; most probably, you were the subject of a widespread misjudgment.

Like with the paper-mail, the e-mail has an envelope and a content of the mail as well.

Following principle of the paper-mail, the "envelope" confirms the name of the receiver, to which the Mail system direct the e-mail.

The only difference between an e-mail and the paper-mail is that the envelope is automatically removed by the mail system during the final delivery into the mail inbox of the receiver. When there is no your e-mail address or any other e-mail address in the header of the e-mail or, the impression of a mistaken e-mail delivery can easily arise.

The similar procedure corresponds with the paper-mail, when for instance, you receive a letter and on the envelope is your name and your postal address. After you open it, however, you find that the letter begin with the words "Dear Santa Claus!". Off course for this a mistaken e-mail delivery, the postman or the post office is not to blame.

The important reason why you as receiver of the e-mail cannot see the envelope is: Different from the paper-mail, the single envelope can contain many different receivers that can receive that particular e-mail. In addition such envelopes are dynamically generated by the mail system, for instance if the e-mail has to be different in one way to certain receivers than to another ones. However, they should not realize that each one received the same letter.

Example: The secretary sends the e-mail to a customer and at the same time the copy to the chief. So that the customer cannot find out about the chief's intern e-mail address, s/he makes use of "BCC: " (Blind Carbon Copy). Although the letter is sent in a single envelope, the customer does not find out anything about the chief's participation regarding the issue.