Security experts at CYBER warned that hitting the unsubscribe button could do more harm than good.
The unsubscribe button is usually a safe way to remove a recipient's email from your company's mailing list, but this only applies to legitimate emails.
If the email is intended to scam you, the unsubscribe button could be a way for scammers to access your information.
“There are legitimate organizations that utilize unsubscribe buttons.” [that] According to CW Network affiliate WPIX, cybersecurity expert Joseph Steinberg told Nexstar, “Some scammers use that to verify that your email address is correct.”
“The worst thing you can do if someone is a real spammer is to tell them, yes, this email address is valuable and this is a real person.
“Your email address is now even more valuable to them.”
Scammers can target your email address for a variety of reasons, but one of the most sophisticated is to send you unsolicited emails.
An even bigger problem is that clicking the unsubscribe button on unsolicited emails can infect your device with spyware techniques and malware, Steinberg said.
Another reason could be that scammers use your email to steal your personal information and target you with more personalized emails and phishing scams.
“They may create emails trying to scam you out of money or tell you that a relative is in danger,” Steinberg claimed.
how to protect yourself
According to StationX, more than 4.7 million people fell victim to phishing scams in 2022.
To protect yourself, you must first be aware of potential phishing or fraudulent emails.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, they often give you a very general greeting, inform you that your account is on hold due to a financial issue, and ask you to click on a link to resolve the issue or provide payment details. We encourage you to update.
Emails can also contain misleading messages or misspellings designed to trick users into clicking links or buttons.
To make sure you're doing everything you can to protect yourself, the FTC recommends installing security software on your devices to protect against emerging security threats.
You can also set your software to update automatically to ensure you have the latest protection.
Another tip is to use multi-step identification.
This is when two forms of credentials are used to log into your account.
These range from passwords to one-time authentication passcodes to fingerprint scans.
Important tips to avoid scams:
The use of artificial intelligence makes scams more sophisticated, so it's important to know how to spot them and how to avoid them.
- Be skeptical of online deals that seem too good to be true, especially on social media.
- Scammers often use tactics to make you panic and make a quick decision. Be careful if you are told to take immediate action and find out who is contacting you.
- Chase Bank warns customers, “Never return unexpected funds without calling Chase first.”
- Never send money to someone you've only spoken to online or over the phone, as this could be a romance scam.
- Do not allow anyone to remotely access your device unless you are 100% sure who you are talking to.
- Never accept help from strangers at ATMs and always use caution when withdrawing money.
- Do not send money or click on links that indicate you have won a prize.
Source: Chase.com
Finally, the FTC recommends backing up your data on both your phone and computer so you can protect everything you need.
Steinberg recommends reporting it if you are still receiving a large number of unsolicited emails.
“Report it as spam,” Steinberg says.
“Typically, email systems have a button that flags them as spam, and that information is sent to anti-spam engines. These engines are improving and can ultimately help filter these emails. Sho.”
