Ask HN: How does Sway app know where I work and crush?

Posted by geekam on Monday March 31, 2014 @01:45PM
from the ask-hn dept.

I got an email by Sway app[1] that someone from my organization has a crush on me and three of my facebook friends are using this app.

I have never signed up on any dating site, never signed up using facebook or standalone login.

I am wondering if Facebook sold my data? The reason I feel this way is because how do they know my place of work and that someone at the same place has a crush on me without me signing up for the app?

[1] https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sway-your-new-dating-app-aka/id737328371?mt=8

( 5 comments | 3 points | on HN )

Re:Ask HN: How does Sway app know where I work and crush? by andretti1977 on Monday March 31, 2014 @03:53PM (#7503704)

I received same email: they crawled linkedin because i set a specific company (my own company!) and they told that other 3 facebook friends of mine were using it, but i never had a facebook account! I decided not to write a blog post because i don't want to make a spot for them and help them spread their name.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: How does Sway app know where I work and crush? by aditya on Monday March 31, 2014 @03:43PM (#7503649)

Spam, most likely. Crawl LinkedIn and associate to public email address somehow, I got the same thing and deleted the app once I realized it was fake. Nice way to get pissed off users...

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: How does Sway app know where I work and crush? by tomn on Wednesday April 02, 2014 @08:00PM (#7519932)

For what it's worth, i recieved one of these spams this afternoon, addressed to the unique email address on my github account, and containing the organisation name listed there.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: How does Sway app know where I work and crush? by atburrow on Wednesday April 02, 2014 @02:44PM (#7517965)

I just got the email. I don't use Facebook either but they also said three of my "friends" on Facebook are using it. It's definitely spam to get more users.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: How does Sway app know where I work and crush? by mehta on Monday March 31, 2014 @02:20PM (#7503180)

Could it be your friends signing up for the service and sharing your information with them. I would assume a lot of companies do this.

[ Parent | on HN ]