Sending Spam and Phishing emails to report@phishing.gov.uk

thsc04646

On this week's MSE email (29.4.20) , there's a new tool in the fight against spam and phishing emails - forwarding them to report@phishing.gov.uk. Sounds like it might be useful, so I tried forwarding a dodgy-looking spam email I'd received today to this email address, but my email provider Virgin Media refused to send it on as 'it contains spam'. Exactly!! That's why I was forwarding it. Is this a problem with my settings, or will report@phishing.gov.uk not accept emails containing spam? I'm stuck in a loop, confused and need help. Anyone?  

eddddy

So it sounds like that email is on a Virgin Media list of 'Known Spam Emails' - that list is probably being shared with the National Cyber Security Centre already.  In fact, the list might even have come from the NCSC in the first place.

I suspect that the NCSC is primarily interested in new Spam Emails which they (and Virgin Media) don't already know about.

debitcardmayhem

Seems to me that VM thinks it's spam, but they didn't think so when it arrived on their server they passed it on to you. Perhaps you should just report VM as a spammer

dan958

debitcardmayhem said:

Seems to me that VM thinks it's spam, but they didn't think so when it arrived on their server they passed it on to you. Perhaps you should just report VM as a spammer

VM most likely care a lot more about spam leaving their server and potentially getting than blacklisted, than they do their users receiving some spam.

[Deleted User]

dan958 said:

debitcardmayhem said:

Seems to me that VM thinks it's spam, but they didn't think so when it arrived on their server they passed it on to you. Perhaps you should just report VM as a spammer

VM most likely care a lot more about spam leaving their server and potentially getting than blacklisted, than they do their users receiving some spam.

Or it could simply be that it's only now been identified as spam?

dan958

Moneyineptitude said:

dan958 said:

debitcardmayhem said:

Seems to me that VM thinks it's spam, but they didn't think so when it arrived on their server they passed it on to you. Perhaps you should just report VM as a spammer

VM most likely care a lot more about spam leaving their server and potentially getting than blacklisted, than they do their users receiving some spam.

Or it could simply be that it's only now been identified as spam?

It very well could be. But in my experience, some email providers have much more strict spam filters for outgoing emails than incoming. 

HogMan

Rather than forwarding the spam email itself you need to add it as an attachment to an email you have created and then send it to report@phishing.gov.uk.. That way your email can be sent and opened safely and the attachment investigated. 

AndyPix

There is no point at all in sending them spam.

They are all variations on a theme and i can guarentee you that the mailbox wont even be monitored.

Its just to make the public feel a bit better , like they're doing something.

Just do like i tell all my users when they send me them ..

"Delete and ignore"

thsc04646

Thanks Andypix, very helpful. I was only following Martin's latest advice on dealing with spammers as best we can, and I'm sure Martin thinks its a good idea to forward them on to  report@phishing.gov.uk. 

ladyofpern

I also have the same issue with Virgin Media too. The one I received was not even marked as spam (put into the Spam folder), so I wanted to forward it on. I'll keep trying with spam emails as they come in. 

thsc04646

There's a difference between spam and scam emails. I believe  report@phishing.gov.uk  are only interested in scam emails, ie those that are trying to extract your personal details, or direct you to fake legit company websites you may have a connection to.