Junk Email

Junk email is defined as unsolicited bulk (also known as mass) email. Unsolicited means the recipient did not grant permission for the message to be sent. Bulk means that the message was sent as part of a larger collection of messages to multiple recipients at once. Junk email is about consent, not content. If the message is sent in bulk and is unsolicited, it is junk. The Office of Information Technology maintains the flow of email into and out of the University and the associated function of cleaning viruses and spam.

Automatic Junk Filtering

Both incoming and outbound email is processed through Microsoft's junk filtering. Various criteria are processed and a score is assigned.  A point is set that at that point or above, the message is considered junk. If incoming, the message will typically, not always, be sent to the recipient's Junk Email folder.

Manual Junk Filtering

If a message is not automatically detected as junk, or if a message is incorrectly identified as junk, you can take action on the message to help train Microsoft's junk detection system.

Mark a message as junk

W-Exchange on the web

1. Right-click on the message
2. Select Security options and then Mark as junk
3. Click Report to confirm your submission. Your message is then sent to Microsoft to improve detection as well as moved to your Junk email folder.

Outlook desktop application

1. Right-click on the message
2. Select Junk and then select if you would like to block future messages from the sender using the provided options.

Mark a message as not junk

W-Exchange on the web

1. Right-click on the message
2. Select Security options and then Mark as not junk
3. Click Report to confirm your submission. Your message is then sent to Microsoft to improve detection as well as moved to your Inbox folder. Future messages from that sender will not be delivered to the Junk folder.

Outlook desktop application

1. Right-click on the message
2. Select Junk and then select Not Junk. The message will be moved to your Inbox folder, and you will be given an opportunity to always trust messages from that sender. Future messages from that sender will not be delivered to the Junk folder.

Block a sender

W-Exchange on the web

1. Right-click on the message
2. Select Security options and then Block
3. The message will be moved to your Deleted Items folder and all future messages from that email address will be sent to the Junk Email folder. Click OK to confirm.

Outlook desktop application

1. Right-click on the message
2. Select Junk and then select Block Sender. The sender will be added to your Blocked Senders list and the message will be moved to your Junk Email folder.

Lessen Junk in your W-Exchange Account

• Do not use your wmich.edu email for non-University business. Many "junk" messages come from businesses you did online business with and provided them with your email address. They may use it to send you their newsletters or they may also sell your address to other businesses. Instead, sign up for a free email account with another entity, e.g. gmail.com or yahoo.com, and use that address for your online purchases.
• Don't ever respond to a spam message. Doing so lets the spammer know that they reached an active account and they will send you even more spam.
• If the message is questionable, be cautious about using their "click here to be removed" or a similar message. It is a ploy to see if they've reached an active account.
• If the message is a legitimate email, e.g. from someone you have done business with online, they are required by law to provide you with opt-out or unsubscribe. You should be safe to do so.
• Never ever respond to a message that asks for your personal information, passwords, account numbers, etc., even though it appears to be from a legitimate source. This is phishing and your providing personal information will allow them to potentially steal your identity.

See also CAN-SPAM Act: A Compliance Guide for Business

Junk vs. Phishing and Abuse Email

Please visit our Junk, Phishing and Abuse Email article to learn more about the differences between these types of messages as well as how to report a phishing message or an abusive email.