Some people might be delighted if one day their email vanished, but not me. And I will never ever trust Gmail again.

My Gmail folders vanished:

I’m not a computer expert. I only know what works for me and what doesn’t.

Recently I learned I was not the only one to have their Gmail disappear.

Years ago, I was using Microsoft Outlook when I started getting frustrating messages stating that something I wanted to send was “suspected spam,” and I was unable to send it. Someone suggested I switch to Gmail. So, I set up an account. Easy enough.

All was fine for about a year or two. Then, one day, all the saved mail I’d put into special folders within Gmail vanished. Included in these folders were correspondences with agents and publishers, submissions and rejection records for poems and short stories, and condolences from when my son passed away.

Important emails. Personal emails.

All gone.

I tried to get answers. There was absolutely no one in Gmail to talk to. Google Support boards offered little help. The best I got was this canned response:

“In the past, users have reported that they are missing all of their messages as a result of unauthorized access. If your account was compromised and you would like us to investigate whether recovery of your messages is possible, please submit this form. Thanks for taking the time to report your issue.”

Thanks??? Argh!

My distress turned to outrage

I don’t believe my account was compromised. Signs of a comprised account (from Gmail) include

• You’ve received a notification about an unusual login or device that you don’t recognize.
• You received a notification that your username or password was changed.
• You stopped getting emails.
• Your friends complain that they received spam from you.
• Messages that you didn’t send appear in Sent Mail.
• Your “Last account activity” shows sign-in activity at unusual times or from unusual computers and devices.
• Your Gmail settings have changed, but you didn’t change them. Settings include: vacation responder, signature, forwarding, filters, language, and others.

So what happened? I have no clue, and apparently neither does Gmail. Apparently there was nothing I could do. My folders were not recoverable. I have since returned to Microsoft.

I was not alone

Even though this happened to me several years ago, I told this story to a friend last week.

She was shocked because the same thing just happened to her. All her Gmail emails disappeared. She had no idea where they went. Like me, she was unable to find a satisfying answer.

I also heard from a writer friend on Twitter: “Mine not only disappeared, I lost access to the account, and despite being told every week for the last 3 weeks that someone at Google would get back to me… nothing. Nada. Zip. It’s very frustrating.”

I’ve read that Gmail has very limited interface and management system, and the best solution may be to use a PC based client, such as Microsoft Outlook or something similar.

If you use Gmail, be aware that your emails, whether saved in folders or not, might vanish one day. Be sure you save anything of importance offline, or have all your mail forwarded to another, more secure account.

Gmail, in my opinion, is not secure.

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Linda K. Sienkiewicz is the author of the award-winning novel In the Context of Love, a story about one woman’s need to tell her truth without shame.

2017 New Apple Book Awards Official Selection
2016 Sarton Women’s Fiction Finalist
2016 Eric Hoffer Book Award Finalist
2016 Readers’ Favorite Finalist
2016 USA Book News Best Book Finalist

“…at once a love story, a cautionary tale, and an inspirational journey.” ~ Bonnie Jo Campbell, author of National Book Award Finalist, American Salvage, and critically acclaimed Once Upon a River,and Mothers, Tell Your Daughters