Email Help

While blocking email addresses, reporting spam, and unsubscribing from email lists all fulfill a common purpose of reducing the amount of unwanted emails in your inbox, there are some situations where it is best to use one option over the others.

1. Blocking emails ensures that you do not receive emails from a particular address or set of addresses. When you block a sender in Gmail, the sender's messages will go straight to your spam folder. Blocking emails also has the added benefit of not letting the sender know that you blocked them.

2. Reporting a message as spam will move the email from the user's inbox into their spam folder and will also send a copy of the email to Google to analyze. As such, it's best to reserve reporting spam for unsolicited commercial emails and emails (by scammers and phishers). 

3. Unsubscribing allows you to let senders know that you would no longer like to be on their mailing lists. That said, scammers can use fake unsubscribe links that, when clicked by a recipient, inform the scammers that the recipient's email address is legitimate.  Afterwards, they will bombard the recipient with spam.

In general, it is best to block email beforing reporting spam and unsubscribing. Report spam on all unsolicited commercial emails and potential spam while using unsubscribing only from promotions that you trust.

If need be, you can always unblock a sender later.

When you block a sender, their messages will go to your Spam folder.

1. On your computer, open your Gmail.

2. Open the message you wish to block.

3. In the top right, click the More button represented by a vertical ellipsis. This will open up a drop-down menu.

4. Click Block [Sender]

Spam is unwanted junk mail and includes unsolicited emails, instant messages, or social media messages that are fairly easy to spot and, while often from legitimate senders, can be harmful. Phishing emails are specifically designed by malignant actors, often in the guise of legitimate sources, to obtain sensitive information that can be used to harm a company or individual. 

1. To report, open your Gmail.

2. Check the box to the left of the message or open the message.

3. Near the top of the page, click the Report Spam button (which should appear with an exclamation point inside of an octogon).

You can also report spam by opening the message and clicking the More button. There will be options for reporting spam and reporting phishing below the option to block the sender. 

1. First, determine whether or not the address is legitimate. If the address appears suspicious, it is best to report spam or ask your company tech admins for advice. Only unsubscribe from mailing lists you recognize and know for certain are legitimate. 

2. If you choose to unsubscribe, open your Gmail.

3. Open an email from the sender you want to unsubscribe from.

4. Next to the sender's name, click Unsubscribe or Change preferences. Many emails from mailing lists feature links reading as "manage your email preferences" or "unsubscribe". Clicking on these links will often take you to a separate page where you can confirm your decision to unsubscribe. 

Some users in the supervisory union have contacted the tech department regarding emails going to Spam.

Please check your Spam folder occasionally to be sure that messages in that folder are Spam. 

To find the Spam folder, scroll down label/folder list at left of screen, then click the "More" button and scroll again. To make Spam always visible, click and drag it up above the More/Less divider line. 

If an email was incorrectly marked as spam, follow the steps below to remove it from Spam.

1. On your computer, open Gmail.

2. On the left, click Spam. If you don't see Spam, click More.

3. Open the email.

4. At the top of the email, click Not spam.

To stop a message from being sent to Spam in the future, you can:

• Add the sender to your Contacts

• Filter these messages

Where phishing in general refers to messages disguised as legitimate companies and individuals to extract sensitive information from their recipients, spear phishing messages target a specific person or organization and are often personalized. To learn more, consult this graphic we made as a guide. In general, remember the following:

1. Keep your emotions in check.

2. Check the email address/domain name.

3. Think twice. 

4. Always verify.