I started getting unwanted emails from some dating sites some months ago. These emails mostly contained ads and unsolicited offers from sites I’ve never been on. I wondered why these sites sent me emails. It later turned out that a third party had traded with my information. The question on my mind was: how do I stop getting emails from dating sites?
There are many options for controlling the flow of emails into your inbox. You can delete unwanted email addresses from your contacts list. If you receive an email that’s legit but not something you want to hear from again, it can be deleted as a rule in Gmail.
Block emails with filters or rules in your email account’s settings. This is also an option if you use a provider other than Google, such as Microsoft Outlook. You can filter emails from specific senders or about specific topics by using certain filters in Gmail or other providers’ settings.
Before I go into how to unsubscribe from unwanted emails, let’s look at why you receive emails from dating sites.
Why Am I Getting Emails from Dating Sites?
1. It’s a site you’re actually using
If you’re using a dating site, you’re vulnerable. It’s easy to have more than one account on a dating site, and it’s also easy to have more than one account that is vulnerable. This means that if someone figures out your password for one account, they can also use it to log into your accounts and access all your information, including your email address.
2. You’ve used the site before
If peradventure you have used a dating site before, they may have stored your information in their database. Moreover, if you’ve been on these sites before and used a different email address or name, i.e., if you signed up through one of those emails, then that’s probably the reason you’re getting more emails. They’ve retained your personal information.
3. A third-party site sold your information
You may have signed up for a site that sells your information to other sites. This is one of the most common reasons for receiving emails from dating sites: you’ve registered with a reputable site, but that site then sells your personal data, including your email address, to dozens of other sites, who then start sending you messages.
The good news is that this is usually easy to fix. You can also try logging into the site in question and deleting any old accounts or profiles you don’t want anymore. Moreover, if you have given your information to a friend, who then sold it to another service provider, you may get emails from them.
4. It could be a scammer
But before you freak out, it’s important to note that not all emails are scams. You might be getting an email from someone who just wants to say hello or make a connection with you.
So, how do you know whether the emails are legit? The first step is simply looking at their profiles and seeing what kind of information they’ve chosen to display. If they’re asking for personal information like your birth date, address, and phone number, which scammers can use against you, that’s a huge red flag.
5. It could be a new dating site that you’ve missed the memo about
It could be a new dating site that you’ve missed the memo about. Maybe there’s a new, legitimate site that’s just starting to gain popularity, and they want to get their name out there. Or maybe it isn’t as respectable of an operation, and they’re hoping to attract more users by sending out mass emails like yours.
Either way, if you don’t want to sign up for any new dating apps or services right now, then simply unsubscribe from these email lists so that they won’t come back again.
6. Someone else may have signed you up without your permission
Some scammers will use phishing tactics to trick people into handing over sensitive information like credit card numbers or social security numbers. It can happen when hackers break into an account database at some company and steal passwords, email addresses, etc., then try logging into other accounts using those details with hopes of gaining access.
Therefore, if someone has access to your email, they may sign up on a dating site without your consent.
How to Stop Getting Emails from Dating Sites
Do you find yourself getting too many emails from dating sites? There are ways to stop unwanted emails and protect your privacy. Here are some suggestions for how to do it:
1. Delete any unwanted email addresses from your contacts list
One way to stop getting emails from dating sites is to delete unwanted email addresses from your contacts list. When deleting unwanted email addresses, you’ll want to look at your contacts list.
You can find this on both Gmail and Outlook.net accounts by clicking the gear icon at the top right and going to “Contacts.” There, you can delete any contacts that are no longer wanted.
2. Block email addresses in your email account’s settings
You can block email addresses in your email account’s settings. Here’s how:
On Gmail: Go to the blocked addresses section of Gmail’s Settings. Click “manage blocked addresses,” and you’ll see all the emails that you or other people using your device have blocked. You can delete existing email addresses by clicking on them with your mouse and then pressing ‘delete.’
On Outlook: Open Microsoft Outlook 2016, or whatever version you’re using, and go to File > Options > Mail > Junk Email Protection tab. Click on Blocked Senders at the top left corner of this window, then click the Add button below it and enter an unwanted sender’s address into the box that appears next. If necessary, enter multiple addresses.
3. Filter emails from specific senders or about specific topics
You can configure Gmail to filter emails from specific senders or about specific topics automatically. Filters are a great way to help you organize your inbox, especially if you’re receiving a lot of emails from dating sites.
You can create a filter by clicking on the down arrow next to “Create a new filter” in the top right corner of your Gmail inbox. Then click “Create a new filter with this search, and then select which action you want Gmail to take after it analyzes an email’s contents, i.e., delete, archive, or mark as read. You’ll see options like “Anywhere in the subject” and “Has attachment.” Just choose what works best for you.
Additionally, if certain words always appear in the subject line of emails sent by dating site bots but not real people, add those words to one of these boxes as well so that they will be filtered out automatically when they arrive in your inbox.
4. Unsubscribe from mailing lists
If you’re receiving emails from a dating site and don’t want to receive them anymore, you can unsubscribe from their mailing lists using the instructions at the bottom of each email.
Here are some things not to do:
- Don’t unsubscribe from just one sender’s domain. This will only prevent future messages from coming from that sender, not others who use different domains.
- Don’t unsubscribe from only one sender (e.g., Joe). This won’t block any other senders who use Joe as their alias or handle.
5. Look for unsubscribe links at the bottom of emails
The best way to stop getting emails from dating sites is to unsubscribe from them. Most dating sites send one email daily, so if you can get it down to 0 by unsubscribing, you’ll save yourself a lot of time and pain.
To find the unsubscribe link in your emails, look for two things:
- The link itself should be located at the bottom of your email, usually under “Contact Us.” It will often say something like “Unsubscribe.”
- It should be in different text than all other links or words in the email, many of which will probably also say “Unsubscribe.”
How to Unsubscribe from Dating Sites
If you have actually subscribed to dating and you keep getting emails you don’t want from them, you can just unsubscribe from such a site. Unsubscribing from dating sites usually involves the following steps.
- Open the dating site or app and log in with your credentials.
- Look for a section like “Account Settings,” “My Account,” or “Subscription” in the menu. This is often found in your profile or the settings menu.
- Within the account settings, locate the option related to subscriptions or memberships. This is where you can manage your current subscription.
- Look for an option to “Cancel Subscription” or “Manage Subscription” and follow the instructions to cancel your ongoing subscription. You might need to confirm your decision.
- After canceling, you should receive a confirmation email. Keep this for your records. If you don’t receive a confirmation, contact customer service to ensure your subscription is canceled.
- If you want to completely remove your presence from the dating site, look for an option to “Delete Account” or “Remove Profile” in the account settings. Be aware that this action is often irreversible.
Conclusion
There are a number of reasons why you might be getting emails from dating sites. If you’re not using those accounts or sites for yourself, the best way to get rid of them is to cancel them and close any accounts associated with your email address.
In the end, if you’re looking for a way to stop getting emails from dating sites, the best way is to unsubscribe from these senders. Sometimes, you can filter the messages you see in your inbox. The rest just goes to your spam folder, which can be viewed anytime.
