Spam overload on iCloud Email Address

Hate to go all C-theory here, but I just noticed another thread about an iCloud user getting prompted to buy more storage because the user's storage is full (of spam). Hmmm

iCloud storage is full scam - Apple Community

Of course same issue here...but now I've noticed that some of my legitimate emails are going to the spam folder, making it even more difficult to check it for emails I need. I noticed two just today from senders that I email all the time, why is this happening?!?

I also have been forwarding every single spam to abuse@icloud.com and reportphishing@apple.com, every day.

I have seen neither a reduction nor an increase—I get between 100 and 150 per day.

I CONTINUE to have some of these junk mails—including some for which I have written a specific rule to forward to above reporting email addresses and then divert to a different folder—show up in my inbox, which is infuriating. (The ones that are subject to the rules are particularly irritating, since the rules I have made work much of the time. So why don’t they always work??)

ALSO, I regularly find legit emails in my Junk folder, including a utility bill (one of two from the exact same power company, sent at almost the same time, for two different homes!), a flight reservation from an airline I fly with regularly (seriously!!), and various newsletters I am subscribed to that have been going to my inbox for many, many years. To me, this is inexcusable. I understand if a new sender gets diverted to junk, but when these kinds of mistakes occur, it makes me wonder.

I am envious of those who are seeing a decline… here’s hoping it is a positive development although I am not holding my breath.

In just the last few days I've noticed that spam has started showing up in my Inbox. Prior to this, Apple had fantastic spam filters. No matter how many I received, they never showed in my Inbox. Ugh, apparently they've loosened their filters? This isn't very reassuring.

Same. And they are addressed to my primary @iCloud.com email which I rarely have given out. It's not something I use to register at sites. I give out one of my aliases if needed, I have an outlook account which I use for subscriptions, etc. It's weird how this is the email they're sending this crap to.

Yep, same here, same senders too. They seem to have found a way around all of Apple's firewalls. And I mean ALL.

I, too, am still using/beholden to the .mac & .me aliases to the primary iCloud address, and this is where the vast bulk of this spam is going to. The easiest fix for me would be to delete/mute/turn off these old suffixes, or change the primary email address altogether. But Apple won't allow that.

So I'm stuck with either having to endure 100s of spam emails a day, or deleting the entire iCloud account with all the attached information/permissions built up over 20+ years....

same its a huge bummer! i've had the same iCloud for over 10 years and never got spam, the last couple of weeks have been ridiculous--to the point where i'm considering the huge hassle of switching every shop account and subscription to gmail

Having the same issue. Except the junk I’m getting doesn’t go into my junk folder - it just comes into my regular Inbox. Blocking the senders does nothing except add the little red “no” symbol to the email. Rules and filters don’t work. It’s really changed how I see Apple as a brand, honestly. Serious brand damage, Apple.

MandyGriz wrote:

but also now I'm forwarding the messages to "reportfishing@apple.com" and hoping that gives some relief.

Is that the actual address you're sending things to? Or are you using the correct address "reportphishing@apple.com"?

And yes, those are the sorts of spam almost everyone in the English-speaking world gets.

I understand how email works hahah but this is quite literally from zero to one hundred in a matter of weeks both my iCloud and me accounts both are user for different purposes. It’s an issue that is not due to me using or not using certain accounts for things.

macuser656 wrote:

Just because this issue isn’t happening to you specifically does not mean it’s not happening at all.

Where did I suggest it wasn't a problem? Spam is a huge problem for every email user on the planet! Some research indicates that 45-50% of all email is spam.

It's now late October, 2023 and I cannot find a way to stop this spam! Even if I discontinue this email address, that would require a major change in my accounts using it, what will prevent the same problem with my new one?

I already gave up and migrated everything over to Google. It was a hassle but it paid off in the end. I rarely ever get spam on my Gmail account. Maybe Gmail has superior spam filters compared to Apple. If there was an option to permanently delete my entire Apple account I would. I have already sold off all of my Apple products. Their main priorities are pumping out the same products every year and putting everything on a monthly subscription plan.

Exactly. It's a pita. And because I have an apple card I cant just delete my apple id and create a new one which I would love to do so that when they send their next spam it will just simply bounce. Oh no. Apple has to be the mother of all frikkin complicated because it's supposed to be secure. Thing is, when they came out with Hide My Email, I created alternate emails only to use for signing up for all accounts elsewhere and beyond. I have never used my actual main apple id email. And somehow, they managed to find it. So the entire Hide My Email does not work.

dalee79 wrote:

I’ve given up trying. I just ordered an Android Google Pixel 8 phone. Apple must know about the problem. I will probably dump me Macs and return to Windows too.

Because Android phones and Windows computers never get spam!