Why Am I Getting Spam in My Outlook Inbox – Outlook Spam Filter Issue

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Written By Raj
Anuraag Singh
Approved By Anuraag Singh
Published On February 22nd, 2023
Reading Time 6 Minutes Reading

why am i getting spam in Outlook inbox

If you’ve been noticing an uptick in the amount of spam email you’re getting in your Outlook inbox, you’re not alone. Many Outlook users have been reporting the same issue. Also in recent time span, Outlook.com has the problem with the spam filter which is reported by many users on 20 Feb 2023

twitter Outlook.com outage

However, it is not a single time in the below image you see the user report the same issue of “Why am I getting spam in my Outlook inbox?”

Outlook spam filter not working

The above screenshot is taken from the Microsoft Community forum, and this is not the end because, as we said, there are multiple Outlook users facing the same issue.

So, the question is why is this happening? And what can you do about it?

Now, to give the answer to this issue, in this blog post, we will discuss why users are getting a number of spam emails in Outlook and what they can do to avoid this situation in Outlook. But before that, let’s understand spam emails and what the causes of spam are.

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A Brief of Spam Emails

So, spam emails are unsolicited and unwanted messages that are sent to a large number of recipients, often for the purpose of advertising or promoting a product, service, or website. These messages are typically sent without the recipient’s consent or permission and often contain deceptive or fraudulent information.

Spam emails can be annoying and time-consuming to deal with, as they can clutter up your inbox and distract you from important messages. They can also be a security risk, as some spam messages may contain malicious links or attachments that can infect your computer with malware or steal your personal information.

Why Am I Getting Spam in My Outlook Inbox – Reasons

There are several reasons why you might be getting spam in your Outlook inbox, including:

  • Email Harvesting: Spammers often use automated tools to search the web for email addresses to add to their mailing lists. They may also purchase lists of email addresses from third-party sources.
  • Phishing Attacks: Phishing emails are designed to trick you into giving away your personal information, such as your email address and password. Once spammers have this information, they can use it to send you spam emails.
  • Malware Infections: Malware infections can also lead to spam emails. Once your computer or device is infected, the malware may use your email account to send out spam emails to other people.
  • Insecure Email Providers: Some email providers may not have sufficient security measures in place to prevent spam emails from getting through.

Well, now we know what is spam emails and what are teh main reasons for getting spam. So, now it a time to get into the solution part t get rid of spam emails in Outlook.

How to Fix Spam Emails Issue in Outlook Inbox

If your question is “Why am I getting spam in my Outlook inbox?” then in this section, we will tell you the right approach to get rid of this issue. So dig down to the solutions to reduce or eliminate the issue:

#Method 1 Block Senders

If you keep getting spam emails from the same sender, then the first thing you can do is block them. Now to block these senders, follow the below steps:

1. First right-clicking on the email

2. Now, select the Junk option and navigate to the Block Sender option.

3. After opting for this will move all future emails from that sender to your Junk folder.

#Method 2: Use the Junk Email filter

Every email application and email service has a built-in junk email filter that automatically identifies and moves spam messages to your Junk folder. And if talk about Outlook, then it has a junk email filter option.

Now, to use this filter option, follow the below guidelines:

Click on the Home button

After this, click on the Junk option, and then choose Junk EmailOptions.

Now, select the level of protection you want.

#Method 3: Create Outlook Rules

To resolve the “Why am I getting spam in my Outlook inbox?” issue, you can try the Outlook rules feature. Yes, Outlook has one very amazing feature known as Outlook rules. You can use a set of rules in Outlook to automatically move messages from certain senders or with specific keywords to your junk folder. To do this, follow the below steps:

1. First, open Microsoft Outlook.

2. Go to the Home tab and click on the Rules button in the Move group.

3. Select Manage Rules & Alerts from the drop-down menu.

4. In the Rules and Alerts dialog box, click on the New Rule button.

5. From the Rules Wizard, select “Apply rule to messages I receive” and click Next.

6. Now, leave the checkboxes unchecked and click Next.

7. Check the box “with specific words in the subject or body” and click on the underlined “specific words” in the Edit the Rule Description section.

8. To move the emails to the Junk folder, type in the words or phrases that commonly appear in the spam emails you receive and click Next.

9. Check the box “Move it to the specified folder” and click on the underlined “specified” in the Edit the Rule Description section.

10. Select the Junk E-Mail folder from the list and click Ok.

11. Give your rule a name (e.g., “Move spam to junk“) and click Finish.

12. Click Ok to close the Rules and Alerts dialog box.

#Method 4: Unsubscribe Spam Sites

If you’re receiving spam from a legitimate company, you can unsubscribe from their emails by clicking the “Unsubscribe” link at the bottom of the message. However, be cautious of unsubscribing from suspicious emails, as this can confirm your email address to spammers.

#Method 5: Use a Third-Party Spam Filter Add-Ins

Like the recent spam filter issue of Outlook, if Outlook’s inbuilt spam filter is not working, then you can go for several third part spam filters. It can easily integrate with Outlook and can help reduce the amount of spam you receive. By using these methods, you can significantly reduce the amount of spam in your Outlook inbox and make managing your email a more efficient process.

Hack Tip

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Also Read: MS Outlook Cannot Start – Find Solution Here

The Verge

“Why am I getting spam in my Outlook inbox?” If this is your concern, then in the above blog post we have discussed all the best solutions with detailed steps. Now, try the solutions and get rid of junk or spam emails.

  author

By Raj

I’m a digital marketer and technical content writer. I’m passionate about exploring and writing about innovation, technology including cloud computing, and digital marketing trends.