[thevillager1988]

I have been diligently trying to keep my emails clear of clutter by unsubscribing to the many many advertisements that find their way into my inbox. Only recently did I notice many of the advertisements are coming from suspicious links. Ug. And now I have learned that there is a scam strategy that is precisely designed to get us to click the unsubscribe. Having done a little digging, I learned it is never a good idea to click the unsubscribe - and it’s likely to be a link that attaches a virus or malware to your computer.

The attached clip from an internet post explains it better than I can.


I am now using care when clearing all the trash from my email. And because of my naivete on the subject, I have a lot of trash.

If anyone finds it helpful, or has other advice, I am grateful.

[ThirdOfFive]

Originally Posted by thevillager1988

I have been diligently trying to keep my emails clear of clutter by unsubscribing to the many many advertisements that find their way into my inbox. Only recently did I notice many of the advertisements are coming from suspicious links. Ug. And now I have learned that there is a scam strategy that is precisely designed to get us to click the unsubscribe. Having done a little digging, I learned it is never a good idea to click the unsubscribe - and it’s likely to be a link that attaches a virus or malware to your computer.

The attached clip from an internet post explains it better than I can.


I am now using care when clearing all the trash from my email. And because of my naivete on the subject, I have a lot of trash.

If anyone finds it helpful, or has other advice, I am grateful.

Good point.

One thing that works is changing your email provider and screen name when the mailbox becomes too clogged. I've done that once already and am looking at doing it again soon: I'd say 95% or more of all my emails are unsolicited advertising, political BS, etc. Doing that does keep things pretty quiet for at least awhile.

[Arctic Fox]

Originally Posted by ThirdOfFive

Good point.

One thing that works is changing your email provider and screen name when the mailbox becomes too clogged. I've done that once already and am looking at doing it again soon: I'd say 95% or more of all my emails are unsolicited advertising, political BS, etc. Doing that does keep things pretty quiet for at least awhile.

I have one Hotmail address that I use for anything that looks as though it might pass my e-mail address on. I can then open anything from that company but ignore the rest of the rubbish that comes in, marking it as Junk.

Last year I entered a competition from my main ISP and received loads of junk from that, which I think is rather shabby as I pay them a monthly access fee!

[Two Bills]

Originally Posted by Arctic Fox

I have one Hotmail address that I use for anything that looks as though it might pass my e-mail address on. I can then open anything from that company but ignore the rest of the rubbish that comes in, marking it as Junk.

Last year I entered a competition from my main ISP and received loads of junk from that, which I think is rather shabby as I pay them a monthly access fee!

I agree.
Hotmail is the pits. I only use it for inquiries, and when an email address is needed to continue.
I also have a throwaway gmail account that gets less junk than Hotmail,
I use Yahoo for family,friends, and business. I find it very good.

[Topspinmo]

Originally Posted by thevillager1988

I have been diligently trying to keep my emails clear of clutter by unsubscribing to the many many advertisements that find their way into my inbox. Only recently did I notice many of the advertisements are coming from suspicious links. Ug. And now I have learned that there is a scam strategy that is precisely designed to get us to click the unsubscribe. Having done a little digging, I learned it is never a good idea to click the unsubscribe - and it’s likely to be a link that attaches a virus or malware to your computer.

The attached clip from an internet post explains it better than I can.


I am now using care when clearing all the trash from my email. And because of my naivete on the subject, I have a lot of trash.

If anyone finds it helpful, or has other advice, I am grateful.

What I have experience Any site you visit that has terms of agreement most likely sell your address if you click for more information. Good example I was interested in hot tub couple years ago and I responded notify me when available. That site sold my email address on world wide web. Now I get junk/scam emails from all over world. They’re really no way to stop it.

Any free site you sign up for has fine print agreements that basically takes control of you and shares you’re Email address. Once they have it you lost all control. Google good example you search for something they all sudden you get all sorts of advertisements on the subject you searched for.

My suggestion if you don’t want to deal with some spam don’t AGREE to their agreements unless you read the pages of fine print.

[Topspinmo]

Originally Posted by Arctic Fox

I have one Hotmail address that I use for anything that looks as though it might pass my e-mail address on. I can then open anything from that company but ignore the rest of the rubbish that comes in, marking it as Junk.

Last year I entered a competition from my main ISP and received loads of junk from that, which I think is rather shabby as I pay them a monthly access fee!

Hotmails going away 2024.

[JRcorvette]

Originally Posted by Two Bills

I agree.
Hotmail is the pits. I only use it for inquiries, and when an email address is needed to continue.
I also have a throwaway gmail account that gets less junk than Hotmail,
I use Yahoo for family,friends, and business. I find it very good.

I have an email account that I only use for sites that demand an email. I never even check it.

[retiredguy123]

I would not use the unsubscribe button for spam messages. But sometimes I will use it for companies that I have done business with in the past. Some of these companies will flood you with several emails every day. I have never understood if just clicking on a link in an email can actually compromise your computer. If so, why do financial companies, like banks, insurance companies, and investment companies, continue to send emails to you with a link to click on? Many companies also do this to ask you to do a survey. Maybe someone can answer the question:

"Can a single click on an email link create a security issue, as long as you don't do anything else?"

[thevillager1988]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

I would not use the unsubscribe button for spam messages. But sometimes I will use it for companies that I have done business with in the past. Some of these companies will flood you with several emails every day. I have never understood if just clicking on a link in an email can actually compromise your computer. If so, why do financial companies, like banks, insurance companies, and investment companies, continue to send emails to you with a link to click on? Many companies also do this to ask you to do a survey. Maybe someone can answer the question:

"Can a single click on an email link create a security issue, as long as you don't do anything else?"

The issue is that scam emails come in and LOOK LIKE legitimate businesses. The scammers are getting very good at this. If you don't want an email from what you think is a legitimate business, click SPAM and it will stop. There is no value to you for using "unsubscribe" and only downside if it's a nefarious link.

If you want emails from businesses you know and like, put their email address in your contacts.

[Two Bills]

Originally Posted by Topspinmo

Hotmails going away 2024.

Microsoft says not.

[JGibson]

Apple iCloud email is good about not letting you click on external links.

It also allows you to generate random email addresses to give out to shady companies.
The email will come to your main email address but then you can report it as junk and they don't have your main email address to sell to others.

Honestly, you should never click on an external link and just go to the website directly.

[Velvet]

I have several email addresses, some were for business, some for family, some for shopping, some for different countries. Instead of changing them, I go through the block function in gmail and other similar functions with other email providers, and add all the words, and addresses etc I don’t want to see. I do this once every 6 months or when I get too much spam.

When I initially contact someone like Walmart etc I tell them right up front, “Don’t send me ads because, I will have to block you. Then when you send a legitimate invoice I won’t get that either.” So far it seems to be working. When I look at my trash file (for blocked email) there is about a 30 to 1 ratio of emails I don’t want to see to emails I do. And as I add more words to block the ratio increases.

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

"Can a single click on an email link create a security issue, as long as you don't do anything else?"

Yes

Clicking on a link says, “please go get that information and load it onto my computer.” If that information is actually a small program that does bad things then it could be an issue. Your browser and security tools try to help but if you insist then they will let you do what you want, even if that is bad.

The best approach is to only click links from legitimate sources and then only when absolutely necessary. My email tool is even set to not load images unless I specifically ask for them.

[Dusty_Star]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

"Can a single click on an email link create a security issue, as long as you don't do anything else?"

Yes. If you click on an email link that will take you to a website, that if not reputable or is reputable but has been compromised, can install code on your computer that could cause a security issue. Hackers are looking to exploit vulnerabilities, legitimate companies are looking to close up vulnerabilities.

[Two Bills]

I was shown some examples of how it takes only one letter in a different font, or an extra dot to make what seems a legitimate address a scam one.
I could not see the difference until it was pointed out.
The boogers are very clever