You can make a difference in the Apple Support Community!

When you sign up with your Apple Account, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.

Inappropriate email senders?

Hey,

I know you can block emails by making a 'Rule' and getting it automatically getting it sent to the 'Bin' folder, but the problem is someone's given out my email and now I get a bunch of inappropriate emails from random, third-party emailers. I've tried to change my main email address in hopes of shaking them off, but it always comes up with the 'Apple Account error: You can only add the @icloud.com address that is already on file in your account.' message. So I can't shake them off. I've tried to make rules to send the messages to the bin folder, but the messages keep coming from different emailers. What should I do now? Is there anything I've missed out?

thanks for any help in advance :)

Posted on Nov 19, 2024 8:28 AM

Reply
5 replies

Nov 19, 2024 8:42 AM in response to stkf1111

Creating a new email address (a completely new one, not just an alias/secondary account) is the only way to actually stop these spams. Presuming this is an iCloud account, I don't know what process you've tried to change your email address, but perhaps this will help:


Change your Apple Account primary email address - Apple Support


Absent that, you can get a third-party spam filter that would be more effective, most likely, than the spam filter included with iCloud (or any other email provider). I've used SpamSieve for years and have been quite happy with it, though I still have had to change email accounts on a couple of occasions when one of my accounts got into broadly-distributed spam lists. Any such filter on your computer, though, does not block the emails, just does a better job of marking them and sending them to the Bin.


For the future, you may want to look into getting an iCloud+ account so you can use Hide My Email with any site, company or service that you can't completely trust. You can get an iCloud+ account for as little as 99 cents (US) per month. Then if any of those "temporary" addresses gets onto a spam list, you can just deactivate it and not have to mess with your actual account.


Regards.


Nov 19, 2024 9:05 AM in response to stkf1111

iCloud+ won't do anything for your existing email address being on spam lists. It will only help you avoid getting on such lists in the future.


There are no free anti-spam filters available that I know of (if any exist at all); at least none that are better than what iCloud itself provides. You'll need to change your email account, then work to avoid getting on more spam lists in the future. Liberal use of the "Hide My Email" feature of iCloud+ is highly recommended.


Regards.

Nov 19, 2024 9:33 AM in response to stkf1111

I believe that if you remove that email address as an alternate, you will then be able to add it as your primary. But not having encountered that personally, I'm not certain. Someone else here may be able to confirm, or you can call Apple Support and they can probably walk you through the process.


BTW, it's a bad idea to post your email address or any other personal information in these forums. These are read world-wide and posting an address may well just get you onto yet more spam lists. I've asked the Hosts to obscure your address.


Regards.

Inappropriate email senders?

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.