Think Before You Unsubscribe: Email Safety Tips You Need to Know

• Email Security
• Phishing Scams
• Cyber Awareness

Unsubscribe links in emails can be risky. Learn safe ways to manage your inbox without falling for phishing scams.

Why You Shouldn’t Always Click 'Unsubscribe'

We all get them — countless newsletters, promotions, and marketing emails you never signed up for. Your instinct may be to click the unsubscribe link and move on. But cybersecurity experts warn that this could be risky, especially if you don’t recognise or trust the sender.

While unsubscribe links are often legitimate, cybercriminals are increasingly using them as a phishing tactic to confirm your email is active — or worse, to direct you to a malicious site designed to steal your credentials.

How Cybercriminals Exploit Unsubscribe Links

Clicking unsubscribe on a spam email may seem harmless, but it can have unintended consequences:

• Confirms your email is active: You’re effectively telling scammers they’ve reached a real person, making you a more valuable target.
• Phishing sites: Some unsubscribe links redirect to fake websites that ask for login details or other personal information.
• Malware risks: Malicious pages can initiate downloads or browser-based attacks.

DNSFilter data shows that 1 in every 644 unsubscribe clicks leads to a malicious website. If a link requests your password, it's almost certainly a scam.

How to Safely Manage Unwanted Emails

Instead of clicking unknown links, use the tools built into your email client. These are generally safer and help you clean up your inbox without exposing yourself to risk.

In Gmail:

• Go to More > Manage subscriptions in the left-hand menu (or Menu > Manage subscriptions on mobile).
• Scroll to the sender and click Unsubscribe.
• In individual emails, click Unsubscribe next to the sender’s name.
• Mark as spam or block the sender if unsure.

In Outlook:

• Go to Settings > Mail > Subscriptions and click Unsubscribe.
• To block a sender, click the three dots and select Block > OK.

Additional Tips for Email Hygiene

• Set up filters: In Gmail, use More > Filter messages like these to redirect emails to another folder or spam.
• Create rules in Outlook: Right-click the email and select Rules > Create rule.
• Use a disposable email alias: Subscribe to promotions and newsletters with a secondary or disposable email address to isolate unwanted messages.

Final Thought: Trust Your Instincts

If a message seems suspicious, it probably is. Avoid clicking any links if you don’t fully trust the source. Email clients like Gmail and Outlook now offer safer alternatives for managing subscriptions without exposing your personal information.

Your inbox doesn’t have to be a security risk — just a little vigilance can go a long way.