Hi, About a month back I started being hit hard with all these phony virus-carrying emails stating they were from Microsoft. Even now I can still get anywhere from two to twenty during a 24-hour period. It is my understanding, from reading this and other forums, that I am receiving these bogus emails because someone who has my name in their address book, is infected with the 'swen' or similar virus. This brings me to my question. I have one individual (a relative) who sends messages, normally a joke or something similar, to 20 - 30 people at once and I am included on these mass mailings. I have asked this individual to remove my name from these mass mailings and also explained why I was requesting this to be done. Now, I no longer get emails from this relative where my email address is included along with 20-30 other addressees. However, this individual now sends me emails that aren't addressed to me, but to another individual. She has done this several times. When I click on 'details' or 'message source' there is only one name listed, BUT it isn't mine. It is always addressed to another person. Does this mean my name is still being sent out as part of her mass mailings? I am just curious as to why I am getting these emails if the only name in the 'To' line is not mine. Thanks and Regards, Phil

Your relative may have placed your email address in the bcc (blind carbon copy) field of the messages. None of the addresses in this field are visible to other recipients.

Hi Heidi, Thanks for responding. Outside of asking my relative, is there anyway I can see if I am being put in the 'bcc' field? Thanks and Regards, Phil

Short of asking your relative. There is no way of checking if you are included as a BCC. Your relatives ISP extracts the e-mail address to send copies but deletes the header information on copies it forwards. One other possiblty is that your relatives PC may have an e-mail virus that is creating these blind copies!

Hi Mick C, Thanks for responding and supplying followup on 'workings' of "bcc". Regards, Phil