Sometimes genuine messages get mis-identified as Spam. These messages are called 'False Spam' and this page is about how to recover them and how to stop similiar messages being falsely identified as Spam.

False Spam 

Although ISS have endeavoured to tune 'SpamAssassin' to mark Spam and allow genuine messages through, occasionally, 'SpamAssassin' may wrongly mark a genuine message as Spam. Messages marked as Spam that are not Spam are called 'False Spam'. You can send 'False Spam' to a special address (see below) where the messages will be analysed.

The senders address of message a falsely accused of being Spam, can be added to a 'White List'. The 'white list' (of genuine email addresses) will prevent SpamAssassin from classifying messages from that from those genuine email sources as Spam. Messages from white listed addresses will always get through.

Whitelisting

Addresses are 'whitelisted' in their current domain. It is possible for a whitelisted address to send through a different domain and get marked as Spam. For example a user might use their company one address to send messages from work and Gmail with an altered 'Sender's address' from home.

Checking Your Spam

To check your *ISS-Detected SPAM* for 'false Spam':

1. open your 'Junk E-mail'/'Spam' folder.
2. check through the headers for senders name that you know.

Reporting False Spam

Note - Webmail - False Spam - students should follow the link for help with false Spam in Webmail.

If you find a 'False ISS-Detected SPAM' message, please report it to ISS. We will assess the message and if possible add the senders address to the white list to prevent further 'false Spam' problems. This is what you do:

1. create to a new message in Outlook 2007.
2. click on the 'To' button - see global address list.
3. type: false spam - see address highlighted.
4. click on the 'To ->' button at the bottom of the dialog - see address added.
5. click OK - see 'False Spam' in the address in the address line.
6. write a subject line that includes the words "false spam".
7. drag the falsely '*ISS-Detected SPAM*' message into the new message and 'drop' it.
8. write a covering note then send it.

Recovering false spam

To bring back false spam to being genuine email:

1. edit the subject lines of the 'false spam' to remove the '*ISS-Detected SPAM*' text.
2. drag the recovered messages to your Inbox.

Deleting your spam

Check your spam folder again - when you are sure the folder is all spam:

1. highlight all messages.
2. delete.

Further Assistance

If you are unsure about any of the above, please contact the ISS Service Desk on x10987.

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