By Jarren Ringle
I have told folks in my classes and articles to never unsubscribe from an email, newsletter, etc. if they never subscribed to it. I know you are tired of getting “spam” emails, and you think there should be an easy way to stop them. Opening the email and clicking the unsubscribe link is NOT the way to reduce spam email. Clicking the unsubscribe link in the email can have many outcomes you didn’t plan for or want.
The least likely outcome is that the sender is a legitimate organization and they remove your email from their mailing list. If that happens, you should consider yourself lucky.
What is more likely outcome is that the sender is trying to see if you are a real person who interacts with spam emails. When you click that unsubscribe link, your email address will be either used to send more emails or sold to someone who will. So you end up with more unwanted spam emails, which increases the likelihood of more dangerous outcomes.
The most serious outcome is when you click the “unsubscribe” link, you are taken to another website. That website will say you need to enter some information so you can be removed from the mailing list. That information may include various credentials. Those credentials can include your full name, email address, phone number, password, etc. Maybe you aren’t sure you ever subscribed, but you enter a password you use frequently. In return, the website says you have been unsubscribed. You haven’t been, and you have likely made a serious mistake.
The new trend is that when you are taken to another website, it will try to install malware on your phone or PC. If it is successful in installing malware, the malware can track your keystrokes, steal your credentials, including passwords, and make you the target of various other things.
So what do you do instead of clicking the unsubscribe link? Delete the email… Read the subject or who it’s from. If it’s something you know you don’t want or need, delete it without opening it. If you do open it, just delete it. Do not respond… do not click any links. You can move the email to the junk folder or label it as junk. That can “train” your mail app to move things like it to junk automatically.
Sometimes your email application will handle the “unsubscribe” function without opening the email. If it can, you will see an alert at the top of the application saying the email is from a mailing list and asking if you want to unsubscribe. That is a fairly safe option because you are not opening the email.
I know this is scary. I know it is confusing. But when it comes to being safe, don’t trust links in text messages or emails.
Jarren Ringle is a member of SourcePoint and a volunteer instructor. SourcePointers come to Jarren for tutelage on their tablets, laptops, and the most popular of all devices – cell phones. He teaches various technology classes throughout the year including one-on-one sessions and group classes. Jarren also volunteers at the Delaware County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. With many years of project management experience in various technology fields, he enjoys helping others with technology.
Technology 1:1 Assistance: Jarren Ringle provides guidance on technology in a 45-minute time slot. Do you have questions regarding a cell phone, PC, laptop or tablet? Share what the device is and what your question is upon registration so that Jarren can be better prepared to help. >> Schedule your 1:1