Email providers like Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, and AOL offer an option to block spammy email addresses. However, scammers have found loopholes to send unnecessary emails to your inbox. Here’s why you are receiving emails from a blocked sender and tips for stopping the behavior.
Note: Since Gmail and Outlook are two popular email providers, we will keep the post focused on them.
Table of Contents
Check the Blocked Emails List
Before we start, recheck your blocked email list on Gmail and Outlook. If the sender is not on the list, add it using the steps below.
Gmail
1. Visit Gmail on the web and sign in with your account details.
2. Select the Settings gear in the top-right corner and open See all Settings.
3. Move to the Filters and Blocked Addresses.
4. Check the blocked email addresses. If a spammy sender is not on the list, move to Gmail inbox.
5. Open an email, click the three-dot menu in the top-right corner, and select Block sender.
If you are new to Gmail, check our separate guide to learn the meaning of all symbols and icons in Gmail.
Outlook
1. Head to Outlook on the web and log in with your account details. Open Settings.
2. Go to Mail and open Junk email.
3. Check blocked senders and domains.
4. If the sender is not on the list, click Add and enter the email addresses you want to block.
Learn How Spammers Again
Spammers are quite aware of the Block function on Gmail and Outlook. They are getting creatives and using different email addresses to hit your inbox.
For example, when you block support@digitaldeals.com, the person can send another email via suppert@uniquedeals.com. They probably have dozens of such email addresses to target your inbox. Aside from blocking such individual email addresses one by one, set rules and filters for such messages (more on that later).
Use a Temporary Email Address
Most apps and services require your email address to sign up. When you share your email address on dozens of unknown apps and websites, you are bound to receive irrelevant emails.
You should be careful before sharing your email address on unknown websites. You can also use a temporary email address to sign up for such services.
If you have an iCloud+ plan, you can generate a temporary email address from the iPhone Settings menu. Android users can explore third-party options to create the same.
1. Open Settings on iPhone.
2. Go to your account.
3. Select iCloud and tap Hide My Email.
4. Tap Create new address. Enter a label and hit Next. Select Done.
You can use this email address on unfamiliar websites and keep your main inbox clean from spam. If you don’t have an active iCloud+ or Apple One subscription, use third-party services like Email Permutator.
Set Email Filters
If you don’t want to use temporary email addresses, set rules to delete irrelevant incoming emails. You can spot a specific keyword that the spammer is using in every email message and use it to send them to Spambox. That way, you don’t have to check and block every message from a different email address.
Both Gmail and Outlook support setting up filters and rules to clean up your inbox. Let’s check them in action.
Gmail
1. Head to Gmail and open an email message.
2. Click the three-dot menu and select Filter messages like this.
3. Enter a subject, keywords, size, and other details and click Create filter.
4. Click the checkmark beside Delete and hit Create filter.
From now on, whenever you receive an email that meets your set requirements, Gmail deletes it automatically and keeps your inbox spam-free.
Outlook
1. Head to Outlook Settings (check the steps above).
2. Select Mail and open Rules.
3. Click Add new rule.
4. Enter the rule name and set a condition. You can set subject, keywords, and other important parameters.
5. Expand Add an action and select Delete.
Hit Save, and you are good to go.
Keep Your Email Inbox Spam Free
Receiving emails from a blocked sender can confuse you. Instead of wasting time checking such messages and blocking every sender, learn more about how the spammers work and explore third-party services to generate temporary email addresses. You should also set rules to avoid such a situation in the future.
