By some stroke of super-luck, my entry in the "recruiter spam E-mail list" has my first name wrong! So it's super easy to tell which unsolicited "opportunities" are fake. They all start with "Hi, [incorrect name], I am reaching out because..." And yes, for the last 2 years or so, 100% of these unsolicited E-mails include my fake name.

This reminded me of my dad. Years ago, as a sort of hobby, my dad used to change up his middle initial when he gave out his name info. E.g., John X. Smith, John Y. Smith, John Z. Smith. Then when he received (then snail mail) solicitations, he could track them based on the middle initial on the envelope.

All my life I've gone by my middle name, and it's turned out to be useful in a similar way. When I receive a message or phone call and they address me by my first name, I immediately know it's someone who doesn't really know who I am.