How do you get targeted for junk mail?

[willythecat]

More out of curiosity than anything else.
Have received a message in my junk mail via Hotmail.com and because l am waiting for certain answers from other people had to open it up. Well it was in fact junk so deleted it without opening anything in it.
Ok, the bulk of my address is standard (ie hotmail.com) but my name is unique.
So the question is, how do they do it?
Thanks

[Mulreay]

Sold information in the form of lists bought by third parties. You would be amazed the amount of companies that sell off your data. I have 4 email addresses 1 is my regular where I have a spam filter but I do keep one that is friends only. I never use it for anything other than personal emails between mates and not one bit of Spam comes through.

[willythecat]

Thanks Mulreay,
Gosh, the little bu33ers! That explains it!
Regards

[Mulreay]

Thanks Mulreay,
Gosh, the little bu33ers! That explains it!
Regards

Glad to help 

[kpac]

Email harvester bots. If you simply type your email into a post here (without a link) a bot will pick it up.

Using simple methods like changing the @ sign for [at] and the dot for [dot] will deter the bot.