Report Phishing Email and Classify Junk / Non-Junk Email

View how to report phishing email from Outlook, as well as report and classify phishing, junk and not junk email

Article Type: How To (Outlook Desktop client, Web, Mobile app)

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Question:

• How do I report phishing or spam email?
• How do I report and classify junk and non-junk email?

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Answer:

• With Microsoft Outlook’s built-in "Report Message" option, you can automatically report phishing, spam and suspicious email to both the Minnesota State Information Security, Risk, and Compliance Team and Microsoft with the click of a button. Note: Notifying the IT Service Desk is no longer necessary.

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Outlook Report Message Classification Options

• If you choose Junk, Phishing, or Not Junk, you'll have the option to send a copy of the message along with your message classification to both the Minnesota State Information Security, Risk, and Compliance Team. This information helps hone spam filtering.
• Phishing Classification
  • This sends all the needed data to the Minnesota State Information Security, Risk, and Compliance Team.
  • You do not need to do any additional notifications to Metropolitan State University or the department or person the email appears to be coming from. 
• Junk Classification
  • Messages that your Office 365 email account marks as junk are automatically moved to your Junk Email folder. However, spammers and phishing attempts are continually evolving. If you receive a junk email in your inbox, you can use the Report Message button to send the message to help improve spam filtering.
• Not Spam classification
  • If you find an email in your Junk Email folder that's not spam, you can use the Report Message add-in to mark it as a legitimate email, move the message to your Inbox, and report the false positive to help  improve spam filtering.

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Report Message Using Outlook Desktop Client

Note: Keep in mind each version of Outlook may look slightly different.

• From Outlook desktop client you can use the Report Message button on an open or unopened email.
  • Single-click on an email to select an email without opening it or from an already opened email message, from the ribbon:
  • Click on Report Message > you can then select, Junk, Phishing, or Not Junk, classification.

• Select Report.

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Report Message Using Outlook Web

• From Outlook Web you can report and classify messages as, Junk, Phishing, Block, without having to open the email.
  • Single-click on an email to select an email without opening it and select a classification option.

• You can also report email from the reading pane view.
  • From email viewing pane click on ellipses (...) select Report Message and select a classification option.

• Select Report.