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2480
I've received an email from 'Microsoft Outlook' telling me that my "mailbox is almost full". Is this genuine?


Check the message:

  • does not contain any clickable links
  • does not contain any attachments
  • does not ask you to reply or disclose any information

If all the above are true, this is a genuine message sent from the University's mail system, and applies to staff and research students.

When your mailbox is approaching capacity, we will send you a warning email (labelled as being from Microsoft Outlook) showing you how much space you are using and how much is left.  However, it is for information only and does not ask you to reply or to disclose any information in any way, so can be considered safe.   Outlook Web App (OWA) will also show an on-screen warning when you login.

Any other email about your email quota is almost certainly a fake and must be ignored - see our important article about phishing emails.

If you do nothing, you may soon find that you are no longer able to send email, and later still you will not be able to receive any email either.   Outlook will also show an on-screen warning when you reach this stage, so as to act as a constant reminder.

For details about emails which should not be trusted, please read FAQ 1446.

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Created by Andy Clews on 22 March 2012 and last updated by Dawn Stewart on 17 September 2020