Is it possible to block emails (to all email accounts) that contain certain word/phrase patterns?

Question

I'm not sure if this is the most appropriate SE group to ask this question but I'm hopeful that it will get some interesting and helpful input from the folks here before it is possibly moved.

A friend of mine has been cyber-stalked for 4 years now by an ex-boyfriend. He recently worked out her new job email address (via LinkedIn) and started sending her emails. She told me that the emails he has constantly sent her have a similar wording and subject matter. This made me wonder if there was a way to block emails with certain word patterns or phrases for all her email accounts (Gmail, work email, etc.).

Answer 1

I don't KNOW this entire concept of targeted marketing which googles uses to brings context based ads on your gmail is worth blogging your mind. They say that they don't do anything with user-mail but they do have abundant filters which are going to pick on anything which matches their dictionary.

I think google does provide you the ability to define just the filter.

SETTINGS>FILTERS>CREATE NEW FILTER

Answer 2

It would be easier to just block his email address. You can do that with Gmail and probably any other email service/application. To use word filtering you will most likely need a real email client like Mozilla Thunderbird.

I don't know the details and the people involved, but in general, tell your friend that the guy probably just needs closure, as in he has to be told in clear words that she is not interested in him in any way and that he is scaring her. Also say that if he doesn't stop this, she will go to the police. This has to come from her. Don't let her go see him in person as that will just inflame his passion/obsession (same thing).

Answer 3

Gmail can't block emails but provides an option to directly send the email to trash. The search criteria can be anything such as subject line, sender, a particular text etc. Just create a filter and when the criteria matches, the message will be send to the trash.

A step by step procedure is as follows:

1. Click the down arrow in your search box at the top of the page. A window that allows you to specify your search criteria will appear.
2. Enter your search criteria. If you want to check that your search worked correctly, click the search button. Clicking the down arrow again will bring the window back with the same search criteria you entered.
3. Click Create filter with this search at the bottom of the search window. Choose the action you'd like for these messages by checking the appropriate box. (In this case choose "Delete it.")
4. Click Create Filter.

As far as corporate environment is concerned, firewall can easily block any email based upon a wide range of criterias such as sender, message text, subject line, etc.