3 On Your Side: Tracking Emails
By Jim Donovan
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- They know when you've opened it, and where you were when you did. Who may be tracking your email? 3 On Your Side Consumer Reporter Jim Donovan tells us about programs that can do just that, and shows us how they work.
Bob Johnson is looking for a job and when he emails a resume he uses tracking software to see if the person he sent it to actually opened it. He says, "I know that my resume has gone where I sent it. I know how many times its been opened, if an email has been opened 6 times I know there may be some interest and maybe I'll get a call."
Many companies offer email tracking for free, or for a very low cost. Gary Miliefsky is a cybersecurity expert. He says, "A couple of years ago only big business had access to this but anyone can use email tracking today. Email tracking is the next big thing in tracking."
Some programs have users put a code next to the recipient's email address, that they can't see and other companies have users just click a box that says "email tracking on".
The tracking software puts a code or image in the email and when someone is tracking emails, Miliefsky says, "They can find out a lot of information about when you read the email, how long you were reading it, where you were geo located, what kind of computer you're using, what kind of web browser or email client and if you clicked any hyperlinks downloaded any attachment or even sent that email onto others."
Experts say this tracking is legal in most cases and email senders don't need to disclose they're doing this.
So who could be tracking your email? Miliefsky says, "Besides marketers anyone can see if you've opened an email this can be a collection agency, an attorney, your dentist, your doctor, it could be anyone."
But can you avoid having your email tracked? Experts say read your email in text only mode- so it doesn't automatically download tracker images and attachments. Be careful of clicking on links. Cyber expert Anne Mitchell says, "If you open the email itself they get no information, it's when your email displays that image then they get information."
Some email tracking companies charge people according to the amount of emails they want to track. There are also apps that allow you to track emails you send and get reports sent to your phone.
For more information visit:
http://www.getsidekick.com/email-tracking
https://www.streak.com/email-tracking-in-gmail
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=io.trigger.forge3383a220593411e39ce412313b0234c0&hl=en