Perspective in Practice: Danger Beneath ‘Opt-In’ Emails!

Most of us have uttered a few choice words in response to the ‘opt in’ messages that have been swamping our in-boxes for the past couple of weeks or so.
Unfortunately, the end to these emails is nowhere in sight. Many organisations still haven’t worked out that GDPR really does apply to them, whilst others perhaps aren't aware that opting-in isn’t always essential to be able to continue to communicate; but that’s another story.
The pressing concern that I have with these ‘magpie’ emails is what really lurks beneath the ‘unsubscribe’ button.
Actually, ‘magpie’ is too friendly a term to use; ‘trap door spider’ (the menace and the ‘bug’ aspect) is a far more piquant description.
Concealed within the flurry of genuine opt-in emails, there are fake emails with, dutifully, unsubscribe links, ready for our attention. They prey on the fact that recipients, who are already numb with the habit of clicking to opt-out, will believe that the email is ‘genuine’ and will revert to the now a-la-mode response and do the same yet again.
By clicking ‘unsubscribe’ the recipient might in fact unleash a ransomware attack (or worse).
So long as they are kept up to date, electronic security systems are really quite effective nowadays; the weak link is us, and the virtual-assailants know it.
‘Threat actors’ are going to a great deal of trouble; even going as far as setting up realistic-looking websites with preferences pages.
So, what to do?
Think carefully before you unsubscribe. Unless you are sure that you know that the sender is genuine, it might be best to mark the sender as ‘junk’ and then banish the offending email by permanently deleting it.
And, I might add, enjoy the enormous satisfaction that comes with seeing so much 'junk' disappear!