Need tech help....making another email account

[Debp]

My 93 year old mom got a letter regarding a data breach. So they are giving the involved people two free years of credit monitoring. But I need to sign her up on the website.

However, since she already had a credit breach at the hospital, she already is signed up for that at the same monitoring company.

So when I tried to sign her up for this new credit breach....it said the email addresses were already being used there. And I needed to use a different email address.

They talked about making some kind of alias account using a plus sign. Then any email would go into your regular account. I don't understand how to do it.

So I tried to make a new Gmail account for my mom. Problem is when I got to the part about proving you aren't a robot....they require you to put in your cell phone, and then type the code that comes back on your cell phone. I don't have a cell phone. So I couldn't make her an email account.

Any ideas? Is making an Gmail alias account with the plus sign hard to do?

 

[SavedInHim]

Here's a good article that explains it. You just add +whatever to your email address and it will be treated as a separate email account. But it will still go to your regular inbox. Pretty nifty.

Gmail Plus Addressing: The Hidden Feature that Can Help You Get More Out of Your Inbox

Gmail offers a wide range of features and tools that make it easy for you to manage your email, stay organized, and get more done. However, did you know that Gmail also offers a hidden feature called “plus addressing”? Plus addressing is a simple but powerful tool that can help you get even more...

eit.ces.ncsu.edu

 

[Debp]

Here's a good article that explains it. You just add +whatever to your email address and it will be treated as a separate email account. But it will still go to your regular inbox. Pretty nifty.

Gmail Plus Addressing: The Hidden Feature that Can Help You Get More Out of Your Inbox

Gmail offers a wide range of features and tools that make it easy for you to manage your email, stay organized, and get more done. However, did you know that Gmail also offers a hidden feature called “plus addressing”? Plus addressing is a simple but powerful tool that can help you get even more...

eit.ces.ncsu.edu

Thanks. That was more simple than the explanation I read.

Do you know how I can set it up on my tablet?

 

[SavedInHim]

Thanks. That was more simple than the explanation I read.

Do you know how I can set it up on my tablet?

I think all you do is when you sign her up for the new credit breach just use the + email address and it should accept it. But the email you get from them will go into your regular inbox. At least that's what it sounds like; I've never used it though so I'm not swearing to anything.

 

[Debp]

I think all you do is when you sign her up for the new credit breach just use the + email address and it should accept it. But the email you get from them will go into your regular inbox. At least that's what it sounds like; I've never used it though so I'm not swearing to anything.

Thanks alot. Will try to check it out.

Someone else told me to make a Proton email account. Any ideas on that?

 

[SavedInHim]

Thanks alot. Will try to check it out.

Someone else told me to make a Proton email account. Any ideas on that?

No sorry. I don't know anything about that. Does your mom already have a Gmail account? I think that's the only way you can use +. You have to already have a Gmail account.

 

[Debp]

No sorry. I don't know anything about that. Does your mom already have a Gmail account? I think that's the only way you can use +. You have to already have a Gmail account.

I have a Gmail account since my tablet is Google. So hopefully I can either do the plus thing...or else maybe try that Proton one.

Mom doesn't know how to use a computer.... she's 93 and I am her total caregiver.

Thankfully I did manage to place a one year fraud alert this a.m. The credit agency will notify the other two agencies.

 

[Debp]

I think all you do is when you sign her up for the new credit breach just use the + email address and it should accept it. But the email you get from them will go into your regular inbox. At least that's what it sounds like; I've never used it though so I'm not swearing to anything.

Thanks much. You were right. I put the + and another word before the @ Gmail right on the form! It worked.

Got her signed up. But now they said for me to phone them. They said they couldn't verify her identity. Maybe because she's in her 90's and hasn't used credit for many years.

 

[SavedInHim]

Thanks much. You were right. I put the + and another word before the @ Gmail right on the form! It worked.

Got her signed up. But now they said for me to phone them. They said they couldn't verify her identity. Maybe because she's in her 90's and hasn't used credit for many years.

LOL, figures. I'm glad to hear + worked. I will probably use that myself at some point.

 

[Debp]

LOL, figures. I'm glad to hear + worked. I will probably use that myself at some point.

Guess what? They said they couldn't verify her identity because there is a lot of wrong information on her credit report. ??
I have to call Experian back later today to ask them to correct it.

 

[Debp]

I've spent a couple of days on the phone trying to straighten the problem out. That includes hold times up to a couple of hours.

The credit monitoring place told me to phone Experian because there was incorrect information on my mom in her credit report. They said that is why they couldn't verify her identity and complete signing her up for the free credit monitoring.

So today I spoke with a guy at Experian. He claimed everything looked ok with my mom's information. But I think he only mentioned about social security number, address and phone.

So who is correct? The lady who said my mom's personal identifying information is incorrect or the guy at Experian???