Misdirected emails - obligations?

[MissB]

Autocorrect redirects someone else's emails to me now and then. I know the other MissB lives in Texas, is a teacher, is getting married soon, and visits the dentist regularly.

I try to reply to these folks, letting them know that they've managed to get the wrong MissB. I was sorely tempted to mess with the "bridesmaids dresses" email chain, because really, all bridesmaids dresses suck so what harm could I truly do? But in the end, I noted that, once again, I wasn't the right MissB.

Do I have a moral obligation to answer these emails? Am I being too polite? Is it ever really ok to just delete?

[Ron Obvious]

1. It depends...

It happens to me from time to time as well. Some of them are clearly spam pretending to be misdirected email because they include a link. Some of those are quite clever, actually.

If it's obviously important and a genuine mistake is made, I usually reply. If it's just a group letter or a useless bit of FYI, I delete.

[LoveMyCali]

2. It doesn't take any longer to hit reply than to hit delete

You don't have to give a big explanation just Wrong address should work. I would want someone one to tell me.

[anasv]

3. well,

If they're genuine and it's only one or two people, I would tell them, and note that you'll just delete any future email from them.

If it's a bunch of people, I'd tell the right person what's happening and that you will just delete future such email. I assume you have her email address....

[Ohio Joe]

4. I get emails from a grammer school in Australia

Been getting them for almost two years now. The first six months, I kept replying back and telling them I live in Colorado and was pretty certain I had no kids in their school but... They just keep sending them to me. Now they go to my spam filter.

[davidpdx]

5. Well if she is getting married AND visits the dentist regularly, then yes you have an obligation

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

My only advice is do what you think is right.

[noamnety]

6. Do you think she is getting emails meant for you?

Maybe an email straight to her setting an agreement that you'll forward each other's emails would be mutually beneficial.

[struggle4progress]

7. If somebody I know sends me an email meant for somebody else, I let them know

I feel no obligation to the rest: I figure they might be fakes trying to mass produce lists of live email addresses for spammers

[sendero]

8. At work....

.... my email address is one character different than another guy's. Every day or two I get something intended for him. Most of the time I reply with the correct address. Some times I forward with an admonition to inform the sender of the correct address.

It's all a big pain in the ass but somehow I cannot stop dealing with it. Most of the emails seem pretty important, some of them have contracts and such attached.

As much as I'd like to be a hard-ass about it and just delete them, I cannot.

[LiberalElite]

9. Depends on message - I got a voicemail - not an email but

I got a message and it was a wrong number. So what you may think. Me too. Except the message from an unknown woman was: "Joy, Darling I can't wait to see you, Darling I'm only here for 3 days, Darling." (I'm not kidding.) Other wrong numbers I've ignored - I called back to tell her she dialed a wrong number - I wasn't "Joy." She thanked me.