Exchange - Net Admin - Outlook
Windows Mobile - Windows

Contact - Director's Blog

Exchange Server Home

Exchange Consultancy

Exchange Resources

Microsoft Exchange
Amazon Store

Basic Email Gateway Server

Company wide Contact List

Disabled User Account

Distribution Lists

DNS Configuration

Exchange and a
Dynamic IP Address

Event ID 1221

Filter Unknown Users

Global Mailbox Folder
Permissions from Server

Intelligent Message Filter

Internal Email Address
for External People

Mailbox and Management
Account

Message Tracking

Migrating to a new server

Multiple Domains

Offline Address Book Errors

Options when a Staff Member
Leaves

Outlook Web Access

PDAs, OMA and EAS

Permissions Best Practises

Post Install Configuration

Public Folders

Prerequisites for Exchange
System Tools

RPC over HTTPS

Secure your SMTP Relay

Shutdown Script

SMTP Services and Exchange

SMTP Diagnostics

Spam Cleanup

Switching From POP3
to SMTP Delivery

Telnet Test

Username Change

Exchange Server Compatibility Information Exchange Server Version Compatibility 5.5 Yes 2000 Yes 2003 Yes 2007 Yes

Email Black Hole
Author: Simon Butler, Exchange MVP, MCSE

If you have an email address that is getting nothing but spam and you want to drop all of the email that it receives without even viewing it, then you need to send it in to a black hole.

This uses a feature of Exchange where any email that is sent to a distribution list is no longer stored on the server once it has been delivered to the list, even if the list has no members.

This is very simple to setup

1. Create a mail enabled distribution list called "black hole" but don't add any members to it.
2. Add the email addresses that you want to "black hole" to the email address tab.

Any email sent to that address will simply disappear - never to be seen again.

This can also be used if you need to send an email out but don't want to see any replies - the no-reply type email address.

Exchange 2003/2007 - Filter Unknown Users

If you are using Exchange 2003 or higher then you may prefer to use a built in feature to filter out unknown users. For this feature to work the email address must not exist within the Exchange environment, but can be more effective as the email is never even delivered to the server. More information on using this feature can be found here for Exchange 2003 and here for Exchange 2007.

Related Articles

Recipient Filtering
Options When a Staff Member Leaves