Article originally appeared on 02.02.21.
If you're like me, every morning when you check your email you find the same spam emails, even though you've unsubscribed what feels like hundreds of times.
Cannabis gummies? I unsubscribed to that yesterday.
Sketchy looking refinance company? Nope.
All-natural diabetes cure? I don't even have diabetes.
It seems like no matter how vigilant you are about hitting the spam button or moving these emails to your junk mail folder, the same ones keep coming day in and day out. Why is that?
Because these illegal scammers operate in the complete opposite way of legitimate marketers.
When you ask to be removed from a list by a law-abiding company, the emails stop. Let's say you signed up for a newsletter that no longer interests you or purchased something from an online retailer and are tired of its daily sales letter. By hitting the unsubscribe button you're usually taken off the list immediately.
That's because companies that are operating illegally are afraid of violating the CAN-SPAM laws put into place in 2003. These laws stipulate that "a visible and operable unsubscribe mechanism is present in all emails" and that "consumer opt-out requests are honored within 10 business days."
Now, when you open an email from illegal scammers, you may actually get more of their emails.
When these spam companies send you an email and you open it or hit unsubscribe, it confirms to them that your email address is viable. Most illegal spammers aren't targeting you specifically, they send millions of emails a day to random email addresses, some that they've fabricated out of thin air.
So by opening the email and hitting unsubscribe or reporting it as spam you are accidentally telling them, "I'm game."
"It's the wrong instinct cause of what ends up happening," Marc Maiffret, a former hacker, told NBC Chicago. "As soon as you hit unsubscribe, you're essentially saying x, y, z email address that had received it ... is active, there's actually somebody there."
What's worse is that by hitting the unsubscribe link at the bottom of the email you may be opening yourself up to attack.
"In reality, that's usually an indicator to increase the level of things they send to you. We even see when you click unsubscribe, it'll take you to a website and the website will actually try and attack against your computer," Maiffret explained.
So the best thing to do if you see a spam email is not to open it. Instead, mark the checkbox next to the email, and then hit the spam button. Spammers get reports on which emails were opened, so be sure never to do so.
But whatever you do never hit unsubscribe on an illegal spam email.
"Don't hit unsubscribe if you don't know who it's from," Chicago-Kent Law Dean Harold Krent, a privacy expert, told NBC. "[The spammers] don't know there's an active being behind that email until you respond in some fashion. Once you do, it's ripe for the selling."
Parents of young children get more time with them if they work from home.Photo credit: Canva
Juicy subject matter
Giphy from The Blacklist.
We could start a rumor.
Grieving couple comforting each other
This response to someone grieving a friend might be the best internet comment ever
When someone is hit with the sudden loss of a friend or loved one, words rarely feel like enough. Yet, more than a decade ago, a wise Redditor named GSnow shared thoughts so profound they still bring comfort to grieving hearts today.
Originally posted around 2011, the now-famous reply was rediscovered when Upvoted, an official Reddit publication, featured it again to remind everyone of its enduring truth. It began as a simple plea for help: “My friend just died. I don't know what to do.”
What followed was a piece of writing that many consider one of the internet’s best comments of all time. It remains shared across social media, grief forums, and personal messages to this day because its honesty and metaphor speak to the raw reality of loss and the slow, irregular path toward healing.
Below is GSnow’s full reply, unchanged, in all its gentle, wave-crashing beauty:
Why this advice still matters
Mental health professionals and grief counselors often describe bereavement in stages or phases, but GSnow’s “wave theory” gives an image more relatable for many. Rather than a linear process, grief surges and retreats—sometimes triggered by a song, a place, or a simple morning cup of coffee.
In recent years, this metaphor has found renewed relevance. Communities on Reddit, TikTok, and grief support groups frequently reshare it to help explain the unpredictable nature of mourning.
Many readers say this analogy helps them feel less alone, giving them permission to ride each wave of grief rather than fight it.
Finding comfort in shared wisdom
Since this comment first surfaced, countless people have posted their own stories underneath it, thanking GSnow and passing the words to others facing fresh heartbreak. It’s proof that sometimes, the internet can feel like a global support group—strangers linked by shared loss and hope.
For those searching for more support today, organizations like The Dougy Center, GriefShare, and local bereavement groups offer compassionate resources. If you or someone you know is struggling with intense grief, please reach out to mental health professionals who can help navigate these deep waters.
When grief comes crashing like the ocean, remember these words—and hang on. There is life between the waves.
This article originally appeared four years ago.