Report Phishing Outlook: Why It Matters and How to Do It

Protecting yourself from email scams is important for your online security and privacy. One easy way to help is to report phishing emails in Outlook.

Furthermore, a common type of email scam is phishing, in which hackers try to trick you into sharing sensitive information or downloading malware.

Fortunately, Microsoft Outlook makes it easy to report phishing emails to help keep other users safe.  

Consequently, in this blog post, we’ll explain why it’s important to report phishing emails and how you can do it with just a few clicks in Outlook.

• Initially, select the phishing email.

• Subsequently, go to the “Home” tab.

• Then, click the “Report Message” button.

• Next, choose “Phishing” from the drop-down menu.

• Finally, click “Report” to send the email to Microsoft for investigation.

By taking a few minutes to flag suspicious messages, you help your email provider and Microsoft better identify phishing attempts and block malicious senders.

How to spot a Phishing email ?

Phishing is a popular form of cyber-crime because it is effective at tricking people into sharing private information.

Consequently, cyber-criminals have successfully used emails, text messages, and direct messages on social media or in video games to obtain personal data from unsuspecting victims.

Accordingly, the best defense against phishing is to know the most common tricks used and what to look out for. Below are some signs that an email or message could be a phishing attempt:

• Urgently, calls to action or threats intended to circumvent critical thinking.

• Furthermore, messages from unknown or unusual senders

• Likewise, poor spelling, grammar, or generic greetings that seem unprofessional.

• In addition, email addresses or links that do not match the claimed sender

• Similarly, unexpected attachments from companies you have no ongoing contact with

If an email raises any red flags, do not click on any links or open attachments. Consequently, hover over the links to check the actual web address.

Furthermore, staying informed and taking the time to validate requests can help you avoid falling victim to phishing scams.

How to report Phishing in Outlook desktop app ?

Phishing is a serious threat online. Consequently, hackers use it to steal passwords, credit card numbers, banking details, and more.

They craft emails that appear to come from legitimate companies to trick people into clicking on links or opening attachments that subsequently download viruses to computers.  

As a result, with awareness and caution, people can help protect themselves from falling victim to phishing scams.

In this section, we’ll guide you on how to report phishing in Outlook desktop app. Follow the steps below to report phishing in desktop app:

• Firstly, open Outlook and click the “Get Add-ins” button on the Outlook toolbar.

• Then, search for the “Report Phishing” plugin using the search bar.

• As a result, select the “Report Phishing” search result to open the plugin page.

• Next, click the “Add” button to install the plugin.

• Consequently, you will now see the “Report Phishing” option in the “Home” tab.

• Subsequently, to report a phishing email, select suspicious messages in your inbox.

• Following that, click “Report Phishing” and then “Phishing” above the message preview panel.

• Finally, reported emails will be moved to your Deleted Items folder. Microsoft will also be notified to help improve spam filtering.

Also Check: How to block Emails on Outlook ?

How to report Phishing on Outlook web ?

Phishing emails often appear to come from legitimate sources, such as your bank, your employer, or a trusted website.

However, in reality they are designed to lure you to click on malicious links or attachments that can infect your computer with malware or steal your data.

Furthermore, if you use Outlook web as your email client, you can report phishing emails to Microsoft using the built-in Report Message button.  

In this blog post, we’ll show you how to report Outlook web phishing in a few easy steps.

Follow below mentioned steps to report phishing on Outlook web:

• First, open Outlook web and select the email you want to report.

• Subsequently, tap (…) at the top of the screen.

• Then, Choose “Report Junk” from the list of options.

• Accordingly, you can then select if it is spam, phishing, or if you want to block the sender.

Alternatively, you can also use the Report Message or Report Phishing add-ins in Outlook to report phishing emails. Likewise, these add-ins work on virtually all Outlook platforms, including Outlook on the web.

Also Check: How to change password on Outlook ?

How to report phishing on outlook app on mobile device ?

In this section we’ll go through the steps to report Phishing on Outlook App on mobile device.

Follow the below-mentioned steps to report phishing from Outlook app on mobile device:

• First, open Outlook app and select the email that you suspect is a phishing attempt.

• Next, tap the three dots icon in the top right corner of the screen.

• Then, tap Report Junk > Phishing.

• Finally, tap OK to confirm.

This will send the email to Microsoft for analysis and move it to your spam folder.

Likewise, you can also use the Phish Alert Button add-on for the Outlook mobile app, which allows you to report suspicious emails to your IT department or security team.

How can I identify a suspicious message in my inbox ?

Outlook provides indicators to show whether the identity of the sender of a message is verified or suspicious. Consequently, here are two signs to pay attention to:

Question mark sender icon

If Outlook cannot authenticate the sender using email protocols, consequently a ‘?’ will appear. Similarly, a ‘?‘ will appear in the sender’s profile photo.

Address mismatch

Sometimes the address in the “From” field does not match the actual sender address. Consequently, Outlook shows the actual address underlined with “via.”

Furthermore, even if a message passes authentication, be careful about interactions if the sender is unfamiliar.

Similarly, hovering over names in the message list displays email addresses without opening messages.

Likewise, while not all unverified messages are malicious, these signs suggest that the sender’s identity could be spoofed.

Additionally, if normally trusted contacts suddenly show authentication warnings, it could mean your account is compromised.

Ultimately, staying on top of sender verification helps identify potential phishing attempts for further review.  

Also Check: How to set up automatic replies on Outlook ?

What to do if you think you’ve been successfully phished ?

If you think you may have fallen for a phishing scam, there are some important steps you should take immediately:

• Firstly, write down all the details you remember about the scam while they are still fresh in your mind. Write down any username, password, account number, or other information you shared. Additionally, note where the interaction took place (email, social media, etc.).

• Secondly, change the passwords for all accounts involved, as well as any other accounts that use the same or similar passwords. Furthermore, be sure to create unique, strong passwords for each account in the future.

• Next, enable multi-factor authentication for all possible accounts as an additional layer of security.

• Then, contact your work or school IT department if any account at your work or school was affected. Additionally, notify your bank or any company involved if financial information was shared.

• Finally, if you lost money or your identity was stolen, report it to local police immediately. Providing the details from step 1 can help them investigate

What happens when you report phishing on outlook ?

When you report a phishing email in Outlook, several things happen behind the scenes:

Microsoft receives the report

Firstly, your report and flagged email are sent directly to Microsoft security analysts for investigation.

Secondly, this helps them identify and track phishing campaigns, analyze their techniques, and refine their anti-phishing filters.

The marked email is analyzed

Initially, Microsoft uses sophisticated algorithms and human expertise to analyze email content, headers, links, and sender information.

This helps them determine the origin, purpose, and potential threat level of the email.

Based on analysis

To begin with, the email can be automatically marked as spam or phishing for all Outlook users. This helps prevent the scam from spreading and protects others.

Furthermore, the sender’s domain or IP address may be blocked. By doing so, this prevents them from sending more phishing emails through Outlook.

In addition, Microsoft may send you additional information or warnings about the phishing attempt. This helps you stay informed and aware of potential threats.

You may see some immediate changes

The reported email will be deleted from your inbox.

You may receive a confirmation message from Microsoft acknowledging your report.

Ongoing efforts

Microsoft uses the information collected from your report to improve its anti-phishing technology and filters.

Furthermore, this helps make Outlook a more secure platform for everyone by proactively identifying and blocking future phishing attempts.

In addition, by reporting phishing emails, you not only protect yourself, but you also contribute to a safer online environment for millions of Outlook users. Please continue to report suspicious emails and help keep the platform safe.

Conclusion

In conclusion, phishing is a common and dangerous form of cyber-attack that can compromise your online security and privacy.

Therefore, it is important to be vigilant and report any suspicious emails you receive in Outlook. Being proactive about security starts with awareness and reporting.

Furthermore, reporting phishing emails helps Microsoft and your email provider improve their detection and prevention capabilities and protect other users from falling victim to these scams.

In this blog post, we show you how to report phishing emails in Outlook using different methods, depending on whether you use the desktop app or the web version.

Similarly, by following these simple steps, you can help make the Internet a safer place for everyone.

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