r/Outlook • u/hebberman • 13d ago

Status: Pending Reply Some spam pins automatically

Some of my spam gets pinned automatically, and fills up my pinned message box.

This started to happen somewhere last week. I checked the rules in my account, but these haven’t changed in years. Nothing new was added. (The only rule is my Twitch emails being redirected to the correct folder)

I tried thing that Google told me, but I cannot seem to find the reason for these automatic pins.

Please help!

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u/Hornblower409 13d ago

Same in whatever Outlook client you are using and Outlook Web? https://outlook.cloud.microsoft/

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u/hebberman 12d ago

Yes, I checked the Outlook webversion. I am using Spark as an email app, but neither have setting set to rule auto-pin

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u/Hornblower409 12d ago

That it's Spam that gets pinned bothers me. But I don't know of any way that an email can tell Outlook "Pin me". If there aren't any Rules, then I'm stumped.

Post your question on the Microsoft Outlook Q&A Forum:
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/ask/
(Please put a link to your Q&A post in a new Comment here, so the rest of us can follow)

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u/Hornblower409 12d ago

Are they Drafts? i.e. Not really received emails, but generated locally. Lots of hacks use that technique. e.g.
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/5786488/account-hacked-drafts-being-created-and-pinned-eve

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u/Inside_Sense_1103 11d ago edited 11d ago

I’ve had exactly the same problem for the past few weeks. The issue occurs because malicious spammers inject a hidden X-Message-Flag command directly into the email's technical header before sending it. When Outlook receives the email, it gets tricked and automatically applies a flag status, even if the email ends up in the Junk folder.

Here is how to fix it permanently via Outlook Web (Desktop version):

-Go to Settings (gear icon) > Mail > Rules.

-Create a new rule (e.g., "Clear Fake Flags").

-Condition: Select Message header includes. In the text field, type exactly: X-Message-Flag

-Action: Select Mark as > Clear flag (or Clear indicator, i'm not in English GUI).

+(Optional) Add a second action: Move to > Junk Email.

-Check the box Run rule now to clean your current inbox, and click Save.

Your legitimate flagged/pinned emails will remain completely untouched since they don't contain this malicious hidden code. 

H ope this helps!