Forget NSA, how do Target, a motel, & whoever find my e-addy I didn't provide them?

[bananas]

7. The Consumerist indicates Target got it from Amazon

http://consumerist.com/2014/01/17/non-target-customers-wondering-how-target-got-contact-info-to-send-email-about-hack/

Non-Target Customers Wondering How Target Got Contact Info To Send Email About Hack
By Mary Beth Quirk January 17, 2014

<snip>

The good news first: A Target spokeswoman has confirmed to Consumerist that the email is “an official communication,” despite it seeming like the perfect chance for hackers to strike yet again. So, whew.

But when we asked where Target obtained email addresses for people who are not now and have never been customers of the retailer, the spokeswoman simply said, “The information was obtained by Target through the normal course of our business.”

Consumerist reader Erica points to discussions on Twitter and elsewhere, wondering if perhaps the email addresses were from Amazon, a remnant from the old Amazon-Target partnership.

Another of our observant readers Mike S. says the Amazon connection could be valid. He explains: “I own my own domain name, and I always create a new unique email address for each web business that I deal with. I received the Target email at a unique email address that I created for use on Amazon.com (that’s an email address that I only gave to Amazon.) So, Target must have gotten my email address from Amazon.”

<snip>