Do You Really Want To Unsubscribe?
Asks Peter Clarke of PC PAL
I regularly monitor websites that advise on avoiding fraud when it comes to your interactions with the internet and recently I came across an article from Action Fraud that mirrors some of the things my customers have been saying to me regarding unsubscribing from emails.
A lot of unwanted emails have a nice easy link to unsubscribe but beware as you may end up giving away a lot of your personal information or setting yourself up to be infected with malware – software which will cause you problems.
Here are 5 reasons why you may be better off not hitting ‘unsubscribe’ or sending an email asking to unsubscribe:
1. When you respond you have confirmed that your email address is valid and in use. This can lead to an increase in spam email as your address can be sold to various spam groups
2. By responding you have confirmed that you have opened the email and read it. This apparent interest in the title of the email is valuable information for the supplier of the spam
3. If you respond via email – for example the unwanted email requires you to reply with the title ‘unsubscribe’, you have confirmed your email is active and your return email will leak information about your email software and potentially supply information about your computer
4. If your response opens a browser window the scam artist can obtain information on your location, computer operating system and browser. If they send a cookie they can track you on other websites they own
5. If you visit a website owned by the spammer they know you are vulnerable thanks to the information they have gained in 1-4 above and can infect your system with malware
So, what should you do? If the email is from an unexpected source mark it as spam. This will delete the message and teaches your software to look out for this type of message and block it in future.
If you need some help or wish to discuss this further please don’t hesitate to call me – I’ll be happy to help and put your mind at rest.
