wayward email ethical question

[jimi]

I frequently get emails not addressed to me personally, but often sent to my domain name by sender error. Sometimes, the server seems to screw up even when the address sent to does not include either my name or domain.

Like faxes, businesses put the usual bullshit about the email being confidential and privileged, and that the recipient must send it back, not read it, keep it secret, etc.

There is no way that an innocent recipient of a wayward email or fax has any legal obligations to the sender or other party, notwithstanding these tough sounding words on the email or fax.

However, what if something truly confidential to the sender and sensitive, maybe valuable is received? Is there any moral obligation to advise the sender? To not read it? To not use it?

I welcome your thoughts.

 

[gramage]

I've mistakenly gotten emails from one person off and on for a few years now and I always email her back saying wrong guy (she still makes the same mistake a few months later anyway, I have no idea who she is). if it's important let them know it went to the wrong person so they can correct it IMHO.

 

[gypsy121]

faxes as well

I have an e-fax number and for some reason I keep getting faxes intended for other people from a lawyer in New York. The first few times this happened I called them and explained the error, but after four times I have given up and simply delete the faxes. Obviously they are not interested enough to change their client's number in their directory. I looked at the faxes to see if I could determine who the client was and then contact him directly. There wasn't enough information for that.

Does this happen to anyone else who uses e-fax?

gypsy

 

[KBear]

I also get the odd fax by mistake. Like gypsy121, I was receiving some timely legal documents, and called the secretaries twice to inform them of the error. The third time I call the lawyer and left him a voice message stating that this was the 3 rd and final time I would be letting them know they had sent these legal documents to the wrong fax, and that any further faxes received would simply be thrown in the garbage. I never receive another fax in error from that office.

To answer the question, I would want to know if I had sent something important to the wrong recipient, so it would be proper to let the sender in question know the error they have made.

 

[mailman]

There is no way that an innocent recipient of a wayward email or fax has any legal obligations to the sender or other party, notwithstanding these tough sounding words on the email or fax.

However, what if something truly confidential to the sender and sensitive, maybe valuable is received? Is there any moral obligation to advise the sender? To not read it? To not use it?

I agree that the receiptent of a misdirected email/fax has no legal obligation to advise the sender..........

Morally, however, is a completely different scenario.

My thought, and policy, in regards to this is to think of the person(s) for whom the information was intended.

Would I want such information being sent to individual(s) that I do not know???????

In the majority of situations the answer is No..........

Where this has happened to me I have done my best, as others have already posted, to contact the sender and advise them of their error. Failing that I try to contact the intended receiptent and let them know what is happening.........

 

[zog]

Interesting story (perhaps)

About three years ago, I suddenly started to receive e-mails for another person. It turned out that her name was similar to mine and we had the same initials. She had just opened a new account with the same ISP that I use and had, initially, given out the wrong address (mine) by mistake.

After a few e-mails, I figured out what the mistake was, guessed the correct address, and began forwarding the e-mail to the intended recipient. In the process, this woman (the intended recipient with a similar name to mine) and I began to chat and eventually started a correspondence that resulted in a tentative meeting at a local coffee shop.

One thing followed another and we dated for several months. It ended amicably and we still chat on occasion. Though it's been over three years since the whole incident started, I still get occasional mail for her.

Anyway, I just thought I'd mention it.

Zog.

 

[jimi]

further facts ....

My fact situation does not involve individuals, and is commercial in nature.

What if I said the sender was a major polluter and environmental law offender, and the wayward email was internal information about how they handle disputes and claims in this area?

What if the information, in different hands, could help to nail the offending company for its wrongdoing?

 

[McMac]

Sell it to the media and make a bundle.

*Shredding documents furiously!*