Report a Phishing Email Message

Spam is any unwanted email. It is not necessarily malicious.

Phishing is malicious. Phishing emails often aim to compromise your computer by installing malware or to steal sensitive information, such as login credentials. Phishing emails usually convey a sense of urgency. 

If you receive a Phishing email, please report it to IT Support Services by following the instructions for the version of Outlook you use.

No Phish Button? If you are following the instructions below, but the Phish Alert Button is still not visible, please try restarting the application or using a different browser.

Outlook Web Client
Video Instruction
Step 1: Enable Phish Alert Button
Step 2: Report Phishing Email

Outlook Desktop Client
Automatically Enabled
Report Phishing Email

New Outlook Desktop Client
Report Phishing Email (Open Message in a New Window)

Mobile App
Automatically Enabled
Report Phishing Email

Outlook Web Client

Step 1: Enable Phish Alert Button


Important
  • To view the Phish Alert Button from the Web Client, it must first be enabled in Outlook Mail Settings.

 

  1. Follow these steps, once, to turn the Phish Alert Button on. After it is on, use this icon to report Phishing email messages. You only need to enable the button once. The button will remain enabled for future use, as described in Step 2.

    Follow these steps once to turn the Phish Alert button on. After it is on, easily use this icon to report Phishing email messages.
     
    1. Log in to Outlook on the Web.
    2. Open a mail message.
    3. Click the More (...) button at the top right of the message.
    4. Select Custom actions.
    5. Check the box next to Phish Alert.
    6. Click the X at the top right of the Settings overlay to save the changes.

      Click the More (...) button at the top right of the message. Select Custom actions.
       

Alternative Method to open Custom Actions

  1. Click the gear icon, at top right, to open the settings overlay.

    Click the gear icon, at top right, to open the settings panel.
     
  2. Select the Mail category.
  3. Then select Customize actions.
  4. Check the box next to Phish Alert.
  5. Click the X at the top right of the Settings overlay to save the changes.

    Select the Mail Category. Then select Customize actions. Check the box next to Phish Alert. Click the X at the top right of the Settings Overlay.

Step 2: Report Phishing Email

  1. Open the Phishing email message.  Do not click any links within the message or open any attachments.
  2. Click on the Phish Alert button to report the message as Phishing.
    --- Please note that the Phish Alert button may be included within the App button, in the upper right of the email, when the toolbar is condensed.

    With the Phishing email message open, click on the Phish Alert button to report the message as Phishing. Please note that the button may be condensed within the More button (...) in the upper right of the email.
     
  3. A panel will open asking you to complete the report.  Click the Report as phishing button.

    A panel will open asking you to complete the report.  Click the Report as Phishing button
     
  4. Once you click on the Report as phishing button, the email will be reported to Support Services, removed from your Inbox, and a ticket created so SVSU can follow up on it.
  5. The email will also be forwarded to Microsoft so it can be used to help inform their automatic Phishing cataloging processes.

Outlook Desktop Client

Report Phishing Email

  1. In the Desktop Client, the Phish Alert Button is automatically enabled.  You do not need to take action to enable it.
  2. Open the Phishing email message. Do not click any links within the message or open any attachments.
  3. Click on the Phish Alert Report Button at the top, right of the toolbar.

    With the Phishing email message selected, click on the Phish Alert Report button at the top, right of the toolbar.
     
  4. A panel will open asking you to complete the report.  Click the Report as phishing button.

    A panel will open asking you to complete the report.  Click the Report as Phishing button
     
  5. Once you click on the Report as phishing button, the email will be reported to Support Services, removed from your Inbox, and a ticket created so SVSU can follow up on it.
  6. The email will also be forwarded to Microsoft so it can be used to help inform their automatic Phishing cataloging processes.

New Outlook Desktop Client

The New Outlook Desktop Client is currently optional and requires an additional step to view the Phish Alert Button.

Report Phishing Email

  1. Open the Phishing email message. Do not click any links within the message or open any attachments.
  2. In this new version, the Phish Alert Button may not appear at the top right of the toolbar.  If it does not appear for you, select the icon to Open the Message in a New Window.

    The Phish Alert Button may not appear at the top right of the toolbar.  If it does not appear for you, select the icon to Open the Message in a New Window.
     
  3. When the message window opens, use the More (...) button to select the Phish Alert Button.

    When the message window opens, use the More (...) button to select the Phish Alert Button.
     
  4. A panel will open asking you to complete the report.  Click the Report as phishing button.

    A panel will open asking you to complete the report.  Click the Report as Phishing button
     
  5. Once you click on the Report as phishing button, the email will be reported to Support Services, removed from your Inbox, and a ticket created so SVSU can follow up on it.
  6. The email will also be forwarded to Microsoft so it can be used to help inform their automatic Phishing cataloging processes.

Outlook Mobile App


Important
  • The Phish Alert Button only appears in the Outlook Mobile App.  If you use another Email app to view messages, you will need to switch to the Outlook Mobile App to send a Phish Alert. 

Report Phishing Email

  1. In the Outlook Mobile App, the Phish Alert Button is automatically enabled.  You do not need to take action to enable it.
  2. Open the Phishing email message. Do not tap any links within the message or open any attachments.
  3. Tap on the More button (...) at the top, right of the message.  Take care to not confuse it with the More button (...) at the top of the screen.
  4. Tap the Phish Alert Button.

    Tap on the More button (...) at the top, right of the message.  Take care to not confuse it with the More button (...) at the top of the screen. Tap the Phish Alert Button.
     
  5. A panel will open asking you to complete the report.  Tap the Report as phishing button.

    A panel will open asking you to complete the report.  Click the Report as Phishing button
     
  6. Once you tap on the Report as phishing button, the email will be reported to Support Services, removed from your Inbox, and a ticket created so SVSU can follow up on it.
  7. The email will also be forwarded to Microsoft so it can be used to help inform their automatic Phishing cataloging processes.
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