Think Before You Click: The “Unsubscribe” Trap

You’ve seen it: a shady-looking email promising riches, miracle cures, or that you’ve won a prize you never entered. You want out, so you scroll down and spot the magic word: Unsubscribe. Easy fix, right?

Wrong.

In scam emails, that “unsubscribe” link isn’t your ticket to freedom—it’s a trap. Clicking it tells cybercriminals, “Hey, this email is active, and I actually read your junk!” Cue the floodgates opening to even more scams.

Instead, here’s how to escape without tipping off the bad guys:

Mark as spam/junk in your email app—your provider will do the heavy lifting.

Block the sender—less inbox drama for you.

Delete it—fast, painless, gone.

Bottom line: never give scammers a thumbs-up by clicking unsubscribe. Treat sketchy emails like bad leftovers—toss them without a taste.