• by Ray Schultz , February 21, 2023

Microsoft Outlook inboxes were flooded with spam on Monday, but Microsoft now claims the problem has been fixed. 

Suspicious emails that should have gone right into the spam folder made it through the filter, according to Bleeping Computer and posts by numerous users.

Microsoft did not acknowledge the issue at first, but later claimed to have fixed it. On Tuesday morning, it said the problem had been addressed.  

The Outlook service page says “Everything is up and running” and has been running throughout.  

The problem was widespread, judging by complaints about the issue on the Microsoft Community forum.  

“I have my Outlook setup that only emails on the safe sender list should be getting through to my inbox, yet since yesterday evening, numerous spam emails have breached into my inbox,” writes one user. 

The Outlook user continues: “Obviously, something changed that's allowing the spam to get through. I have not changed any setting on my end, it seems as though someone on Microsoft's development team changed something with the spam filter that it's not effectively filtering spam.”

Another writes: “Same thing happened to me overnight. I have all these rules in place to not allow any emails to my inbox unless I have them as a contact, or I have exchanged emails with them before, and yet my inbox is FULL of ****.” 

This Outlook user grimly concludes: “After 28+ years with the same email address, a LOT of spammers know my email. So thanks for that Microsoft! Please fix this right away.”

Still another writes, “I just started having the same problem. I get a huge amount of spam, so I filter everything. I only allow mails from my contacts list or safe senders. Right now everything is going into my inbox. This just started.” 

Independent advisor Raech C. advises Outlook users: “If you recently received a suspicious email in your Junk folder and responded to it, this may have caused the sudden influx of Spam in your Inbox.”