How to Safely Unsubscribe From Unwanted Emails (Without Getting Scammed)

Many people are afraid to click the "Unsubscribe" link at the bottom of emails, worried it will confirm their email address to scammers or open a virus. This is actually a smart instinct — but it applies only to a small category of emails. Understanding when it is safe to unsubscribe versus when you should delete and report the email is a useful skill that will help you keep a cleaner inbox.

It is safe to click "Unsubscribe" when the email is from a company you recognize and have done business with — a store you shop at, a newsletter you signed up for, a bank or insurance company, or a website you use. Legitimate companies are required by the CAN-SPAM Act to include a working unsubscribe link, and clicking it will actually remove you from their list within 10 business days. Gmail also has its own unsubscribe button that appears at the top of many promotional emails — clicking the "Unsubscribe" link right next to the sender's name in Gmail is very safe and works through Google's own systems.

Do NOT click the unsubscribe link if the email: claims to be from a government agency (IRS, Social Security, Medicare — they do not send mass promotional emails), comes from a sender name or address you do not recognize at all, contains spelling errors or asks you to "confirm your email to unsubscribe," or was already in your Spam folder. For those emails, mark them as spam and delete them.