How Verkada Makes It Hard To Unsubscribe
Verkada sends massive amounts of unsolicited emails using various techniques to make it hard for recipients, who never opted in, to unsubscribe themselves from these emails.
Inside this report, we examine the patterns of these unsolicited email campaigns, based on IPVM's review of thousands of the messages, how this contrasts to FTC guidelines and UX best practices, and how this helps Verkada to bombard people with unrequested correspondence.
Scattered ******** ****** ********* ** ******
*******'* *********** ****** **** * ********* approach ** *** **** ***** ********** to ***-*** ** ********* ****** ******. IPVM ******** ********* ** ****** *** could **** ** ******** *********** ****** or ****** **** ******* ****. ***** were **** ** ********** ******** ********* on **** *** ***** *** ****, e.g. **** *. ****. *******, ********* **** ** *** ****** ********** used/linked *** **** "***********" ** "*** out" *** ******** ***** **** ********* look *** **** ****** *** ** promotional ******.
**** ******** ******* ** *********** ****** from ***** *** ********* ******, *** Verkada ***********, ***** ** **** ** explicit *********** ******. ************ ******* *** unsolicited ****** ** *** *** *** in ***** ******* ******** *** ********* and ******** ** *********.
*******'* *********** ******* *** ********** **** 5 ******* **********:
- "** ******** **** *** ******* ** you"
- "*** ********** ** ***** ********"
- "****** **** ***** ********"
- "**** ***** **** *** ******* ** me"
- "***** **** **** **** ***** *******"
"If ******** **** *** ******* ** ***"
*** ****** *********** ****** ******* **** is *** ********* "** ******** **** not ******* ** ***." **** *** be ********* ** ***** ********** *** do *** ******* **** **** ** Verkada's *********** ****. *******, ******* ****** this ********* ** * *** **** is **********. ******** ******** ******** ** everyone, *** *******'* *********, ** * minimum, ***** **** ****** ***** ******* they ******** **** ** ***********.
******* ** *******'* ********* ********* *******, many ** *** ****** **** ***** in **** ********* **** **** "********** ** *******,"***** ************* ***** ******* ********* *** are ******** ***********.
"Not ********** ** ***** ********"
******* ****** ******* **** ** ******* or ******* ****** **** ************* ** to *** *** ********* "*** ********** in ***** ********." ******* ****** **** disinterest ** ***** ******** ** *****, making ** ********* *** ****** ** realize **** ** ******** *******'* *********** link.
"Update **** ***** ********"
******* **** **** ****** ******** ** their "*** **********" ********* *** "****** your ***** ******** ****." *******, ****** stating "****** **** ***** ******** ****" is *******. *****, ********** *** *** realize **** **** ** ******** *** unsubscribe ****.
Lacks ******** "***********" ****
** *** **** *********** *****, **** of *** ********* ** ****** ** reviewed *** *** **** **** *** word "***********" ********. *******, ******* **** phrases **** "**** ***** **** *** pertain ** **."
Reply **** **** ***** *******
******* ***** **** *** **** ******* a ****** **** *** *** ********* to ***********. *** ****** ***** **** Verkada ********** **** *** ********* ***** to ******* *** *****.
Marketing **'* ***** ******** ** *********** ******
**** *****, *******'* **** ** *********, **** out ** ***** ** **** **** did *** ******* *** ****** *** the ********* ** ***-*** ** ********* future ****** **** *******. ** ** concerning **** *** **** ** ********* is *** ******* ** ***** *** regulations ***** ******* ********** ****** **** clearly **** *** ********* * *** to ***********.
UX **** ********: "**************" *** "***********"
*******'* "*** ********** ** ********" *** "security **** *** ******* ** ***" unsubscribe ******* *** ******** ** ***** "manipulinks" ** "************," ****** ******* ** nudge ***** ******** ** ***** ******.******* ****** *****(**/*), *** ** *** ******** *********** on ** ******,********* "**************"** "****** ***** **** *** *** opting *** ** ** *****." ******** cares ***** ******** ** ** ******. However, ******* ***** *** ********* **** bad ** ******* **** ******** ** the "***** ******** ****" ***** *** user ** ****** ***** ***** ********.
FTC ****** ******* **** ********
"***********" *** "**************" **** ***** *** UX ******** ***** ** "**** ********," which *** *** ***** "* ***** ** *********** ************ **** interface ******* **** ** ******** *** mobile ****." ******, *** *** *** ***** a ****** ******** ** ********** *********** who *** **** ******** ** ***** marketing *** ***** ******. *** *** has *** *** ******* ****** ******* dark ******** ************ ** ***** *********. However, *** ***** ***** **** ********* ********, ** online ********'* ********* *******, ***** **** to *** ********* $** ******* *** in ********** ******** ** **** ********, ********* making ** ********* *** ********* ** unsubscribe ** ****** ***** ***********.
UX *********: *********** **** ****** ** ******* "***********"
**/*********** *** *********** ******* ** * "one-click *******"** ***** *** **** ** *********** is ********** ******* "***********."
The **** ****** ** ******* ***********. This is what people expect the link to be called, so they are looking for this word. A different label is automatically more difficult to locate.
**** ****’** ******* ** ***********, **** want ***, *** **** **** ** to ** * *** ***** *******.
**** * ****’* ***********, *** ***** unsubscribe ********** ***** *** *****. *** link ** ******* ***********, **’* *****, and **’* **** ** ****. **** they ***** ** *** *********** ****, users *** ***** ** * ************ page **** * ***** ********** **** they’ve **** ******* *** * ****** tone. **** ******** *** **** ********.
** **/*'* *********** ********, *** ***** actually ********** ** **** ** *** newsletters *********. *******, *******, ** ************ and ****** **** ********, ** *** even **** ***** ******'* ********** ** even ***** **** ** *** ***** place.
Re-entering ***** **** ********
*******, *******'* *********** ******* ***** **** to*******'* "***** ********" *******:
*** ***** ********* **** ********* *** to **** ** ***** ***** *******. This ***** ** ****** ** *********** by ********** *** **** ** ***** to ***** ***'* *****. *******, ** that **** *** ******** ******, **** must ***** ** **** **** ***** address ******* ****.
*** *********, * ******* ******** ******** ** Microsoft *** *** **** * ********** blog, ****** **** "**** *****'* ********** there's ** ****** *** **** [****** to ***** *** ***** ******* *** want ** ***********":
** ****, **’* ******* ****’** ****.
** *****, **’* ******* **** **** to **** ** **** ********* *************.
* ******* *****’* ** **** ***** case: **’******** *** ***** ********** ** ***** with.
*****’* ****** ** ****** ***** **** for *** ** ***** *************.
Prepopulated ****** ********
******* ********* **** *** *********** *** opt-out ****** **** *** *********'* *****. However, **** *** ******** * *** instances ** ***** *** ***** *** prepopulated. **** ***** *** ********* ***** have *** ****** ** ***-*** **** one-click, ** ** *********** ** **/*. It ** ***** ******* *** *** ability ** *********** *********** ***** **** emails ** ******** ********, *** **** not *** **** ****** ** * standard.
CAN-SPAM *** *** *** ********** ********
*******'* ********** *** ******* *********** ******* raise ***** ******** ** *** ** FTC,***** *** ***-**** ***, ********* ***** marketing. *** ***'* ********** *** ******* by *** ***-**** *** *** **** clear. *****, ********** **** ******* ********** how ** ***-*** ** ********* ****** mail:
Tell ********** *** ** *** *** ** ********* ****** ***** **** ***. **** ******* **** ******* * ***** and *********** *********** ** *** *** recipient *** *** *** ** ******* email **** *** ** *** ******. Craft *** ****** ** * *** that’s **** *** ** ******** ****** to *********, ****, *** **********. ******** use ** **** ****, *****, *** location *** ******* *******.
************, *** *** **** ** "***** the ****** ** * *** ****’* easy *** ** ******** ****** ** recognize, ****, *** **********." *******, *******'* tactic ** ***** ********** **** "** security **** *** ******* ** ***" leaves **** *** ****************.
Verkada: ** *******
**** **** ******* *** **** *** findings *** ***** *** *** ********* behind *******'* ******** *********** *********, *******'* spokesperson****** ******, ****** ** ** ** **** Risa ****** **************,*** "*********** ** ****** **************"*********:
****** *** ******** ***, *** ** don't **** ******** ** *** ** your *****.
****** ***** ****. *** **** ********* an ***** **** *** ** *** admin ********** ** * ********** ********* department **** ******* *******.
**** ** ***** *** *** **** this **** ****'** ****-******* * ****** person **** ** ********** ** *** security ** ** **********. ******* ********, how ** * *** **** ** stop ****? * ** ***** ** request *** *.*. **** ***** *** inbound ****** **** ******* *** *** time *****.
**** **** *** *** ******* **** wrong ***** ** ********* ** *** own.
[********],
* *** ****** ** ***** **** somebody ** [********] ********* ***** ******** *** ******. I’m ********* ******* **** ********, ****** and ** ******** ********** ** ********* and ******** ***** ***** ******** ******* in **** *** ***** **** ** share *** **’** ************* ****.
** ******** ** *********** ************** ** forgoing *** **** *** *** **-**** equipment (**** ***/***) ******* ** *** cameras **********, *** ****** ***** ******** cameras *** ******* ******** *** ** driven - ******* ** ********* *** pains *** ********* ****** ** *********** systems *** ** ******* * ********* solution ** ******** *** ****** *** security ** [********]
**** ***** ******** **** ***** **** purview?
**** ******
********** ** ******* ***.
****** ** ******* *** "** ******** does *** ******* ** *** ****** click ****" *******. *******, *** ***** are *** ** ***** ********** **** unknown *******, ** *** ****** ** irrelevant.
******* **** *** *** ***** **** at****@*******.***** *********** ** ****** ******, ** we ******* **** -"********, ****, *** **********" - ******* Sales ********* *** *****
******* ********* ** **** ********** *** anyone *** ******* ******* *********** ** stop ********** ****:
** **** **** ** ******* ********* customers ***** **** **** ******* ***** and ****** *** ********* ** ***** people's ****** *** ***** **** **** respect – ****** *** ***** **** we **** ****** ***** ******contact ** **. [emphasis added]
**** **** *** *** ******* **** wrong ***** ** ********* ** *** own.
** *** **** ***** ****:
* *** ****** ** ***** **** somebody ** [********]…
******* *** “*********” *** **?
**** * ****** ***********, ** ********* “Fisher *****” ** “***** ****” *****?
** *** ** ****** *** *** domain ****** ** .*** ************?
* *** ******* ** ******* ******* as * *********** *** *** **** in ****. * ******* **** **** a *** *** *** **** **** their **** ******* **** ******. ***** I **** *** ************ ****, **** decided ** ** ****** ** *** contact *** **** ************* ********. *******, he **** ** ***** *** ************, and ******* ** *** ******* *** grata ****** ****.
******* ** ** ***** *****, *'** received ** *********** ****** **** ******* this ****. ****'* ******** * ****'* delete *** ** ****, ***** *'* sure * ***. * ****'* ***** that "** ******** ***'* ********* ** you" ****, ******* * *** ** idea **** ** **** ** *** can't ***** **** ** * *******.
******* ** ** ***** *****, *'** received ** *********** ****** **** ******* this ****.
* **** *** **** *** ***** it.
*** ****, * ** **** **** Yeti ****** **** *********. * *** give ***** ******* **** *************. * had ***** **** ******* ******* *** a *****. **** **** ****** *******, but * ******'* **** **** **** for *** *****. * ***** **** needed **** *** ** ****, ***** would **** **** * *** ** internet *****, **** * ******'* **** the ***** **** **** ***** *** us.
****, *** ******** ****** *******, *********** interest ** *******?
*’* *** **** ****’** **** ***** you ***** :)
** ***’** * ******* **** ***-***** and ****?