How to bounce emails TO a particular email address

Question

We use Google Apps and on most domains, have a catchall address.

Over the years though, various email addresses of ours have ended up on various sold email databases/lists and they receive different types of spam on a regular basis - in fact, it isn't necessarily spam, but just cold calling via email.

In many cases, we know that the only way the some of the email addresses were obtained were through purchasing email lists, which we are very much against in business.

I am wondering if there is any way to bounce only emails to specific email addresses so that we can still keep our catchall running.

Anyone know if this is possible, either within Google Apps or with a third party app?

Solution

Yes, you can keep your catch-all running and bounce only emails sent to a specific email address. Follow these steps:

1. Sign in to gmail
2. Go to Settings (gear icon) -> Manage this domain
3. From the admin console, click Apps
4. Select Default routing
5. Click ADD SETTING

Pop-up window has 3 settings:

1. The recipient email address you want to disable
2. Choose: Reject message
3. Choose: Perform this action on non-recognized and recognized addresses

Then press SAVE and you are done.

Comments

[Tom]

It seems to have moved a bit, you can now find it here: admin.google.com/[Your Domain]/AdminHome?hl=en#AppDetails:service=email&flyout=defa‌​ult_routing (note the [Your Domain] substitution).

[Ray Foss]

This will reject the message for everyone in the workspace... not just that single recipient. This is a real problem if that recipient gets CC'ed on a lot of emails.