Unsubscribing from spam emails? Be careful, you may get scammed

About 1 in 644 unsubscribe clicks can lead to scam sites that confirm your email is active. Use Gmail or Outlook’s unsubscribe options to stay safe.

You must have experienced that your mailbox is always filled with subscription renewal reminders, surveys and feedback, job offers, weight loss program details, webinar invites, and what not. The easiest way to unsubscribe from these types of emails is the unsubscribe option in our mailing list. It is the simplest way possible, everyone knows it, to avoid these promotional emails, but it may put you at risk.

Be careful when clicking unsubscribe links as some may lead to scams trying to steal your info.

By Kanika Budhiraja

Kanika is a senior tech writer, gadget and appliance reviewer, and tech news enthusiast with over six years of experience. She covers new tech trends, gadget reviews, AI developments and product launches, always trying to keep things easy to follow and genuinely useful. Most of her day goes into affiliate work around TVs, soundbars, home audio systems, air conditioners and air purifiers. She compares products, checks prices and looks for deals that fit how people really live and spend. As a senior content producer, Kanika works across news, reviews, explainers and buying guides, trying to keep pace with fast launches without losing sight of what readers actually need. She enjoys slow, honest testing more than hype and is happiest when a story helps someone buy one thing with confidence instead of scrolling for hours. When she is not at her desk, she is usually binge-watching a new series or planning her next trip, collecting small ideas and moments that quietly find their way back into her work.

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A report by The Wall Street Journal says clicking on those unsubscribe links can actually put your device and personal info in danger. When you click them, you leave the safe zone of your email app and enter the risky side of the web. TK Keanini, CTO of cybersecurity company DNSFilter, calls it like entering the wild west of the internet.

What are the simple steps to stay safe online?

Here are simple steps to protect yourself when unsubscribing from emails:

1. Use your email provider’s unsubscribe option instead of the links inside emails. Gmail, Outlook, and other apps have safe unsubscribe buttons that keep you inside your inbox.
2. Mark suspicious or unknown emails as spam instead of unsubscribing from them.
3. Avoid clicking unsubscribe links in emails from senders you don’t trust or recognise.
4. Use tools like Apple’s “Hide My Email” feature and browser extensions for Chrome or Firefox to keep your real email address private.
5. Keep your email app and security software updated to guard against new threats.

Following these easy steps can help you avoid phishing scams and keep your inbox safer. Unsubscribing doesn’t have to be risky if you stay cautious and use the tools your email app provides. Stay smart and protect your info online.