Think twice before entering your email address to protect your data

If you type in your email address anywhere online, you cannot guarantee that the provider will not reuse or reallocate that address at some point later down the line.

That could mean a new user receives messages that are not intended for them.

This is particularly problematic in the case of sensitive emails containing personal information or messages that grant access to customer accounts, says German consumer adviser Stiftung Warentest.

In the worst-case scenario, unauthorized individuals could gain access to your accounts, find enough clues to track you down, or piece together so much personal information that they could misuse it for identity theft.

Ideally, keep your old addresses whenever possible, say consumer advisers.

If the email address you wish to give is part of a paid service, you can ask the provider whether it can be converted into a free mailbox.

One way to simplify your processes if you have one or more old addresses and don't want to check them all the time is to set up your email inbox so incoming messages are automatically forwarded. You can easily do that in your settings.

For your convenience, do the same with your old inboxes and have your emails automatically forwarded to your new, current inbox.