Home / Technology / Scammers Exploit Email 'Unsubscribe' Trick
Scammers Exploit Email 'Unsubscribe' Trick
20 Feb
Summary
- Phishing emails mimic legitimate billing alerts to deceive recipients.
- Scammers use familiar branding and urgent language to pressure quick action.
- Verify suspicious emails by checking sender domains and logging into accounts directly.

New reports warn consumers to be skeptical of 'unsubscribe' links in promotional emails, as scammers are actively exploiting this feature. A common tactic involves sending fake billing alerts for services like YouTube TV Premium, designed to appear legitimate and urgent.
These fraudulent messages often claim payment has failed, urging immediate action to avoid service interruption. Scammers leverage recognizable branding and simple language to bypass quick checks. A key indicator of a scam is an email sender domain that does not directly match the purported service provider, such as lifeheaters.com for a supposed YouTube TV alert.
Scammers rely on user behavior, knowing that many people skim emails and react quickly to threats of service interruption. The emails may use capital letters, emphasize urgency with phrases like "today," and include prominent buttons like "CONFIRM BILLING." These elements pressure recipients into acting before verifying the legitimacy of the message.
To avoid falling victim, it is crucial to verify any suspicious billing alert independently. Instead of clicking links in the email, open a new browser tab and navigate directly to the official website or app of the service in question. Real billing issues will be reflected in your account dashboard. Hovering over email links can also reveal mismatched sender domains, a significant warning sign.




