# Spam emails that will not allow themselves to be deleted **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 21, 2022, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-emails-that-will-not-allow-themselves-to-be-deleted/970037 "2022-08-21T15:39:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2022, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-emails-that-will-not-allow-themselves-to-be-deleted/970037/1 "2022-08-21T15:39:55Z")
I’ve been deluged lately with spam, 15-20 per day. I’ve been rolling the rock up the hill, trying to unsubscribe, mark as spam, or simply delete spammail. But I’ve had a few recent ones that do not allow any of these actions. They seem to be nothing more than links to websites. It is weird that I cannot even delete them. Any advice? Thanks, mmm ---
**Author:** ![scudsucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scudsucker/32/14101_2.png) [@scudsucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scudsucker)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2022, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-emails-that-will-not-allow-themselves-to-be-deleted/970037/2 "2022-08-21T15:48:41Z")
It really depends on what email client and/or service provide you use, but as a rule of thumb: Do not “unsubscribe” - that only proves that there is a live human behind your email address, one who has interacted with the spam and therefore has a good chance of interacting (even just reading) future spam. Marking as spam should work, depending on your email client/ISP It is quite surprising that emails that are nothing more than just a link/multiple links even arrive on your computer. That kind of spam is usually caught in transit by the ISP well before it hits your inbox. I have no idea how the “impossible to delete” thing comes in? It is impossible for you to not have the ability to delete files, both on your own machine and the cloud (eg [gmail.com](http://gmail.com)) ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2022, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-emails-that-will-not-allow-themselves-to-be-deleted/970037/3 "2022-08-21T15:51:08Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > trying to unsubscribe That’s your problem. Unless it’s a well known company and/or something you signed up for, just delete it. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2022, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-emails-that-will-not-allow-themselves-to-be-deleted/970037/4 "2022-08-21T16:04:34Z")
@scudsucker , As stated in the OP, it will not let me delete, unsubscribe, or mark as spam. Thanks, mmm ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2022, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-emails-that-will-not-allow-themselves-to-be-deleted/970037/5 "2022-08-21T16:05:23Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Unless it’s a well known company and/or something you signed up for, just delete it. This. If they’re in my inbox, I mark them as spam and delete everything in my spam folder daily. If it’s from a legit company, I try to unsubscribe, which sometimes works… ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2022, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-emails-that-will-not-allow-themselves-to-be-deleted/970037/6 "2022-08-21T16:05:49Z")
What is your mail client? I would delete it and reinstall it again. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2022, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-emails-that-will-not-allow-themselves-to-be-deleted/970037/7 "2022-08-21T16:07:49Z")
Outlook has been recently putting spam (of their choice: they call it an advertisement) as the top email. It can be deleted, but will come back. My option is to pay for a previously free email service and they assure me these will go away. I look forward to the inevitable escalation, where it will be scattered randomly through my inbox, or where I’ll have to click through an add to read the email. ---
**Author:** ![scudsucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scudsucker/32/14101_2.png) [@scudsucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scudsucker)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2022, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-emails-that-will-not-allow-themselves-to-be-deleted/970037/8 "2022-08-21T16:49:50Z")
What operating system, what email client? Is this a gmail/yahoo/aol online account or a custom domain supplied by your ISP? Do you use a browser or an email client (or even both) to access your mail? ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2022, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-emails-that-will-not-allow-themselves-to-be-deleted/970037/9 "2022-08-21T17:18:46Z")
Thanks for the advice, everyone. It is Gmail. The two offending emails are gone now after I closed the browser and then re-opened it. mmm ---
**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2022, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-emails-that-will-not-allow-themselves-to-be-deleted/970037/10 "2022-08-21T21:34:13Z")
Are these in a little section labelled “Top Picks”? If so, rest assured that Google is renting some of the area in front of your eyeballs to the highest bidder. No need to be alarmed, citizen! ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2022, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-emails-that-will-not-allow-themselves-to-be-deleted/970037/11 "2022-08-21T23:31:39Z")
I don’t think so. I don’t see a “Top Picks” section as I look at my Gmail screen now. A likely important detail I just realized - both of the offending emails were located at the top of my list, and both had an “ad” tag covering the box that I would normally click to select and then delete. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2022, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-emails-that-will-not-allow-themselves-to-be-deleted/970037/12 "2022-08-21T23:42:23Z")
My wife and me have both several email-adresses for different purposes, and some we share (the emails we use to manage newspaper and Netflix subscriptions, for instance). I use mostly a windows computer, she uses a samsung tablet. There are emails she cannot delete, but I can. I use Thunderbird, no problem. There is no Thunderbird for Android, the spam mails reappear when she deletes them. When that happens she asks me to delete the spam. When an account gets spammed too often we open a new one and stop using the old one. Don’t unsubscribe from spam, that only makes the problem worse. Just delete and ignore. Or the other way around. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2022, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-emails-that-will-not-allow-themselves-to-be-deleted/970037/13 "2022-08-22T13:10:49Z")
> [@scudsucker](#): > > Do not “unsubscribe” - that only proves that there is a live human behind your email address, one who has interacted with the spam and therefore has a good chance of interacting (even just reading) future spam. There is another reason that I have had to use occassionally. Under Federal Law, once you notify them to remove you from their list, they have 10 days to comply or they are in violation of the anti-spam laws. And no, you do not have to use the unsubscribe link. If you click that link, there is no record of when you unsubscribed but if you reply (by law they must have an email address you can reply to) you can document when the 10 days expired if they continue to spam you. I have a copy/paste notification I use for my work email. At home I just delete and move on. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2022, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-emails-that-will-not-allow-themselves-to-be-deleted/970037/14 "2022-08-22T16:14:23Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Under Federal Law, once you notify them to remove you from their list, they have 10 days to comply or they are in violation of the anti-spam laws. And no, you do not have to use the unsubscribe link. If you click that link, there is no record of when you unsubscribed but if you reply (by law they must have an email address you can reply to) you can document when the 10 days expired if they continue to spam you. If it’s a legit company that has you on a mailing list, maybe. If you think all the spam about penis pills and Bitcoin and Nigerian lottery winnings give a shit about any kind of law, and will kindly stop spamming you, think again. Responding to those just shows you are a real person who saw those emails. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2022, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-emails-that-will-not-allow-themselves-to-be-deleted/970037/15 "2022-08-22T16:22:53Z")
To a veteran spammer, an unsubscribe request is interpreted, illogically, as “Here I am! I want more spam! Give me all you got, fast and furious! More, more, more!”. ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2022, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-emails-that-will-not-allow-themselves-to-be-deleted/970037/16 "2022-08-22T17:24:52Z")
When I get phishing email, I forward it to [reportphishing@apwg.org](mailto:reportphishing@apwg.org) and then I delete it. Here is [FTC info on phishing.](https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-recognize-and-avoid-phishing-scams) ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2022, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-emails-that-will-not-allow-themselves-to-be-deleted/970037/17 "2022-08-22T19:07:55Z")
On my Wife’s experience, I’ve found that unsubscribing generally works. In doing this , I’ve noticed that spam tends to come from various providers, and getting on one provider’s list gets email from several companies. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2022, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-emails-that-will-not-allow-themselves-to-be-deleted/970037/18 "2022-08-22T20:32:34Z")
One was like that. They stopped after I posted their activity on their corporate website. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2022, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-emails-that-will-not-allow-themselves-to-be-deleted/970037/19 "2022-10-21T23:30:58Z")
> [@dolphinboy](#): > > …I try to unsubscribe… As stated in the OP, it will not let me delete, unsubscribe, or mark as spam. > [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > …Just delete and ignore. As stated in the OP, it will not let me delete, unsubscribe, or mark as spam. > [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > …I just delete… As stated in the OP, it will not let me delete, unsubscribe, or mark as spam. > [@ratatoskK](#): > > …I delete it. As stated in the OP, it will not let me delete, unsubscribe, or mark as spam. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2022, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-emails-that-will-not-allow-themselves-to-be-deleted/970037/20 "2022-10-22T09:10:43Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > As stated in the OP, it will not let me delete, unsubscribe, or mark as spam. And as stated in my answer, when my wife, with android, cannot delete a spam-mail, which sometimes happens, I can with a windows device using Thunderbird. Why this is so, I don’t know. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-emails-that-will-not-allow-themselves-to-be-deleted/970037.md?page=2)