Update November 2021 - Microsoft rolled out a change to Junk Email. Messages suspected of being junk or phishing will be redirected to the Junk Email folder for everyone. There is no longer an option to change this setting. However, junk email will continue to honor the safe sender/block sender preferences just as your junk email does today. 

How to Report a Phishing Scam or a Spam Email

Note:  Junk Email Filtering is turned on by default.

  1. Login to Outlook on the web
  2. Click the Outlook icon
  3. Click the Mail icon
  4. Choose Settings (gear icon)
  5. Choose View all Outlook Settings
  6. Select Mail
  7. Choose Junk email
  8. In the 'Reporting' section "When messages are marked as junk", select Automatically send reports.
  9. Click Save.
  10. In the 'Blocked senders and domains' and the 'Safe senders and domains' sections, click +Add to add any addresses you want to Block or Add.
  11. Click Save.
  1. Login to Outlook on the web
  2. Click the Outlook icon
  3. Click the Mail icon
  4. Click on the gear icon in the top right corner.
  5. Choose View all Outlook Settings
  6. Select Mail
  7. Choose Junk email
  8. In the 'Safe senders and domains' sections, click +Add and enter the sender's email address to add them to the Safe senders list.
  9. Click Save.

Outlook 2016 (Windows):

  1. Select the message that was incorrectly identified as junk
  2. On the Home tab, in the Delete group, click Junk, and then click Junk E-mail Options.
  3. Safe Senders tab, click Add.
  4. In the Enter an e-mail address or Internet domain name to be added to the list box, enter the name or address that you want to add.
  5. Click the + plus sign to the right of the dialog box and repeat for each entry that you want to add.

Outlook 2016 (Mac):

Outlook 2016 (Mac) users will need to log into Office 365 Outlook on the web as this option is no longer available client side.  See steps above.

  1. Login to Outlook on the web
  2. Click the Outlook icon
  3. Click the Mail icon
  4. Click on the gear icon in the top right corner.
  5. Choose View all Outlook Settings
  6. Select Mail
  7. Choose Junk email
  8. In the 'Blocked senders and domains' sections, click +Add and enter the sender's email address to add them to the Blocked senders and domains list.
  9. Click Save.

Outlook 2016 (Windows): 

  1. On the Home tab, in the Delete group, click Junk, and then click Junk E-mail Options.
  2. On the Blocked Senders tab, click Add.
  3. In the Enter an e-mail address or Internet domain name to be added to the list box, enter the name or address that you want to add. 
  4. Click OK and repeat for each entry that you want to add.

Outlook 2016 (Mac):

Outlook 2016 (Mac) users will need to log into Office 365 Outlook on the web as this option is no longer available client side.  See steps above.

If you are missing important email (e.g., mass mails, listserv messages, messages from faxes or printers, etc.) that you think should be in your Inbox, please check your Junk E-mail Options.  

Outlook 2016 (Windows):

  1. Open the Junk Email folder
  2. From the HOME tab, select the message that shouldn't have been moved
  3. Select Not Junk
  4. You will be asked if you want to send the report to Microsoft - select Report or Don't report. 
  5. The message will be moved back to the Inbox. 

Outlook 2016 (Mac) and Office 365 Outlook on the web

  1. Login to Outlook on the web
  2. Click the Outlook icon
  3. Click the Mail icon
  4. Open the Junk Email folder and select the message that shouldn't have been moved. 
  5. Select Not Junk
  6. The message will be moved back to the Inbox. 

Spamming refers to the practice of flooding the inboxes with an unsolicited emails addressed to hundreds or thousands of recipients in an attempt to force the message on people who would not otherwise choose to receive it. It has also been called "junk e-mail". 

How do spammers get my address?

E-mail spam lists are often created by stealing mailing list addresses from compromised accounts or by searching the web for addresses. Online directories are another source of e-mail addresses. The more internet activity you participate in with your email address, the more likely you'll end up in a spam list.

What should I do if I receive "spam"?

DO NOT REPLY to the spam message. This can inadvertently cause all original addressees to receive the reply, causing another flood. Mailing lists can explode into thousands of recipients. NEVER retaliate with more spam; you're just exacerbating the problem. Replying also lets spammers know they have reached a valid address and may continue sending emails to it. 

DO NOT respond to "instructions to remove me from the mailing list". Many times this will result in a bounced (rejected) mail message to you. It may also result in hardening your address onto spam lists, as it serves as a confirmation that your account is active and the mail is being read. For spam advertising purposes, this makes your address more valuable.

Report the spam - see How to Report a Phishing Scam or a Spam Email for instructions. We will examine the message headers and take action if we can determine the source or relay site for the message. We are most interested in reports of e-mail spam that originate from within the University, or that are offensive to you.

Make it stop!!!!

Spam is one of the unavoidable pitfalls of being on the internet. It is almost impossible to prevent because any user with an e-mail address can "spam" any other valid e-mail address or public electronic forum. The only foolproof prevention is to disconnect from the internet.

Limit your personal/recreational use of the internet from your University account and use a personal email account instead. Many web sites capture information about visitors without their knowledge and then use it later for unsolicited advertising. 

In all cases, if you are feeling threatened, report the activity to the Department of Public Safety at 335-5022.  For more information regarding IT security issues, see IT Security.

Article number: 
104127
Last updated: 
March 14, 2023
Category: