Rejection for Policy Reason

[MOCC1]

I am now regularly getting Spam messages purporting to come from Talktalk.  In many cases when I try to forward to report@phishing.gov.uk my messages get rejected with: 

The following recipient(s) cannot be reached:       'report@phishing.gov.uk' on 02/12/2024 08:21

            550 5.7.1  Reject for policy reason

This seems illogical in that Talktalk is allowing the mail to come to me but preventing me from reporting.

[tawktawk]

MOCC1, thanks for keeping this topic well in focus. I'm not an IT expert but there may be a difference between a) service providers transmitting between users, and b) users who are 'receiving and forwarding'. I'm guessing that TT only 'handle' but do not 'receive and forward' email traffic as you and I do. I tried to forward one of the scam emails to myself and it was rejected with the same fault code that you mentioned in your opening email. So, my understanding is that, because the email Header contains fault codes and does not pass scrutiny, then the service providers will not allow it to be re-transmitted in FORWARDING mode through the internet. The initial email sent by the scammer is crafted by the scammer to look like their 'original message' and artful enough to get through the system to whoever it is addressed to. When you or I try to forward this email it comes under much more scrutiny and is stopped, quite rightly by TalkTalk, or other service providers in the communication network, whoever it is addressed to, even when addressed to the NCSC! So, the best way to beat the scammers and continue to get your scam email to TalkTalk (or the government NCSC) is to send it as an attachment. That way it is a benign attachment to an email which 'originates' from you only and will happily make its journey to its destination. 😀

[Ady-TalkTalk]

The reason you have to send the mail to tt and government is due to recent changes that block forwarding mail. This is why the new help article was published to reflect the inability to forward mail.

Ady

[MOCC1]

Ady

That is all good general advice but irrelevant to this issue.  The question is WHY Talktalk seems to allow the spam to get through to users, but then rejects the message when it is reported to the relevant TT & Government authorities

[Ady-TalkTalk]

Hi MOCC1, if you change passwords regularly and never use a password that's previously been used before it helps to keep your mailbox secure. Anyone can spoof/use any email address for spamming. They needn't be a real address, however those customers who open the links in the scam emails are allowing themselves to be hacked. That in turn allows their mailbox to be used to send spam. 

Ady

[tawktawk]

It is not 'another' topic Gliwmaeden2.  My experience/topic is identical to MOCC1's and the answer to MOCC1 will be the answer to me too. Running with the same topics in parallel will just clutter the system and de-focus the feedback. What the community is waiting for is TalkTalk's response to the topic.  I am happy to drop out and wait for an answer from TalkTalk. Any help you can give to accelerating the answer would be welcome.

[Gliwmaeden2]

It actually helps Talktalk appreciate the scale of an issue if you do start your own topic, @tawktawk.

Otherwise the automated workflow will simply clock up your post as "just another answer" to the OP.

We as customers can't rewrite the way the forum was designed [and it's dependent on bought in software to function] so the best way to contribute to the forum and receive help is to follow the forum rules and guidelines. 

[tawktawk]

Further to my message below, and in response to Ady's message, I don't see any need to open a new topic as my complaint is 100% as described so clearly by MOCC1.  The scam emails I receive are addressed to another tiscali email user in the header and, presumably, blind copied to me. When I try to forward these to the TalkTalk and government email addresses I receive the same rejection comments described by MOCC1.  I followed the advice of ferguson below and sent five such scam emails as 'attachments' to phishing@talktalk.co.ukTalkTalk on 19 January and they appear to have been delivered. My initial input below concurs with all that has been submitted by other contributors on this topic but with the addition of other information (e.g. ARC) from the received email headers. So, the Community is focussing on the same topic but we are getting no explanation back from TalkTalk. Please help your customers! 

[MOCC1]

Whilst Ady asks for a new topic to be raised, the fact is TalkTalk has not responded to close the initial topic.  80% of my spam comes purporting to come from TalkTalk, suggesting a breach with personal data.  The system allows it through, then inhibits forwarding to relevant authorities.  It needs sorting!

[Ady-TalkTalk]

Hi tawktawk, this topic is started by another member of the community to ensure updates and accurate tracking we require you to start a new topic provide as much information as possible without disclosing private information. For anything including personal information send me a personal message. 

Ady

[tawktawk]

This problem seems to have ballooned recently and I get forwarded scam emails which seem to be originally from business entities but modified, when forwarded, to include the scammer's message and tricks. The Header details often indicate ARC (Authenticated Reader Chain) - fail message. The only participant missing in this TalkTalk community chat seems to be TalkTalk themselves. True, they've parked an 'I'll look into it' entry on 5th December and are making no serious effort to inform customers on what they're doing or what their thoughts are. Extremely disappointing from TalkTalk. They have not even been able to formulate an opinion in 6 weeks or so. 

[ferguson]

Try downloading and sending the offending email as an attachment, rather than forwarding it directly. 

[RichardW4]

I get the same problem from "report@phishing.gov.uk" when using my Tiscali email.  This only happened during the last week and I have previously had no problem.  It worked Ok when sending from my 'outlook' email address

[Roddy9]

Exactly what I have been getting too. Mine are sometimes returned with the following explanation by TT: 

"Cannot Send Mail

The connection to the outgoing server

"smtp.talktalk.net" failed. Additional

Outgoing Mail Servers can be configured for Mail accounts in Settings > Apps > Mail > Accounts."

This always happens when trying to send an email to report@phishing.gov.uk and on occasions when emailing a family member's gmail account too, although sending to gmail, yahoo etc now works OK. 

Ady-TalkTalk has also referred mine for the attention of his techie colleagues.  It is so frustrating and ongoing. Surely it doesn't take a genius to rectify, given the similarity.

[ferguson]

Are you able to download a copy of the offending email and then forward it as the latest guidance suggests?

[Monkey-paws]

I have started getting the same problem and unable to send to report@phishing.gov.uk as well as phishing@talktalk.co.uk

Some of the emails I can forward OK, but others I can't which doesn't make any sense.  Today's version rejects with 550 5.7.1  Reject for policy reason  for both the government email and the TalkTalk one.

[Ady-TalkTalk]

I have asked my colleagues to investigate the possible causes of this. 

Ady

[jerryf]

Should have added to my previous email that trying to forward emails to TT's own reporting service (phishing@talktalk.co.uk) also fails.

[jerryf]

Have just experienced the same problem today as MOCC1 when trying to forward a phishing email masquerading as being from TT, using Thunderbird email client.

Previous phishing emails have been forwarded OK, just today the p[roblem has started.

[Ady-TalkTalk]

Hi MOCC1, we've raised an incident for the phishing mails. I'll see if I can get an update on progress for you. I'll post back once I get a response. 

Ady