Before You Begin:
Please remember that the spam filter is not perfect and will catch most but not necessarily all spam messages.

For more detailed information about SPAM and Phishing at UM-Flint please visit http://www.umflint.edu/helpdesk/pages/UM Flint Spam Stats.html, and http://www.umflint.edu/its/support_centers/safecomputing/virus.htm.
Creating a Spam Folder:
A new folder will have to be created in your Outlook Folder List, please follow the steps below to complete this.

  1. Open your Outlook 2007 application
  2. Click File
  3. Click New
  4. Click Folder 
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  5. A “Create New Folder” dialog box will appear
  6. In the Name: field type Spam
  7. In the Folder Contains: field make sure Mail and Post Items is selected.
  8. Finally in the Select where to place the Folder: subsection select  Mailbox - Last name, First Name 
  9. Click OK.
  10. You will now see a Spam folder in your Folder List on the left side of your screen.
Now that the folder is created you can now setup the Spam filter, follow the directions below to complete this.

Configuring the Spam Filter

  1. In the toolbar at the top click Tools
  2. Click Rules and Alerts
  3. Click New Rule… at the top left of the window
  4. In Step 1: Select a template choose Check messages when they arrive found at the bottom under Start from a blank rule.
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  5. Click Next
  6. In Step 1: Select Condition(s) place a check next to with specific words in the message header, this will be found toward the bottom of the screen.
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  7. In Step 2: Edit the rule description (click an underlined value) click the blue words specific words
  8. In the first field type X-Spam-Flag: Yes
  9. Click Add, you will now see the words you typed show up in the Search List box
  10. Click OK
  11. Click Next
  12. In Step 1: Select Action(s) place a check next to move it to the specified folder
  13. In Step 2: Edit the rule description (click an underlined value) click the blue words specified
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  14. Select the spam folder that you created at the beginning of this quicknote
  15. Click OK
  16. Click Next
  17. There are no exceptions, Click Next without checking any boxes
  18. Name your rule anything you wish.  Remember you want to be able to recognize what this rule is later.
  19. Place a check in the box next to Run this rule now on the messages already in the "Inbox"
  20. Leave the check in the box next to Turn this rule on
  21. Click Finish
  22. Click Apply on the Rules and Alerts dialog box
  23. Click OK on the Rules and Alerts dialog box

Using Junk Senders List:
Outlook gives the ability to block known spammers through their junk senders list. The instructions below describe how to setup this functionality.

If a piece of junk email from a sender you would like to block is in your Inbox

  1. Right click the message and select Junk Email
  2. Select Add sender to Blocked senders list.
You will no longer see any mail from this sender in your Inbox, it will instead be located the junk mail folder