Updated CCCApply Spam Filter Utility User Guide
Introduction
This User Guide describes the updated version of the CCCApply Spam Filter Utility, which introduces a redesigned user interface while preserving the existing backend system, machine-learning model, and proven application workflow processes already in place.
The enhanced user interface is intended to make configuration, monitoring, and the day-to-day management of processing fraudulent applications more intuitive and efficient, without changing how the backend system currently operates.
Jump to Getting Started.
What’s New
In addition to the existing machine-learning model and filtering processes still functioning in the legacy Spam Filter, these new features have been added:
More data fields available in the main table view, including:
IP Address
Age
Date of Birth
Current Mailing Address
Verified (through ID.me or DMV Wallet)
Major
Educational Goal
Table manipulation features (pinning columns, reordering columns, hiding/showing columns, auto sizing columns)
Expanded IP metadata for each application (e.g., IP Location, IP Zip code, Connection type, Internet Service Provider)
Advanced sorting and filtering
Reorganized Application Modal:
Modal data is organized into new sections to make it easier to read and find info
There is a “mail to” link on the email address allowing the user to quickly open an email to the applicant
Every field can be copied by hovering over the field and clicking the copy icon that appears
The user can click the IP link (on the IP field) to see detailed IP data.
Getting Started
Authorized college and district staff must request access to the updated spam filter utility from CCCTC Staff Support and, if approved, an account will be configured using your institutional .edu email address and your institution MIS code. See Requesting Authorized Access for details.
When your account is authorized for the pilot environment, you will receive instructions for how to log in and reset your password.
Requesting Authorized Access
Access to the updated CCCApply Spam Filter Utility is restricted to authorized California Community Colleges staff to ensure the privacy and security of our students' personal data.
Required Membership in the Private Spam/Fraud Discussion Group
Authorized college staff must be approved members of the CCCTC Private Spam/Fraud Discussion Group, a secure online forum within the http://CCCTechnology.info Support site. New members: Please submit an online request here: Private Spam/Fraud Group Discussion Group Request Form.
Existing Members: Send an email to the CCCTC Staff Support team with the subject line: “Requesting Access to the Updated CCCApply Spam Filter Utility” using your institutional email address (.edu). You will receive an email confirmation with next steps.
Multi Factor Authentication (MFA)
The Updated Spam Filter Utility requires the use of an authenticator application to maintain a secure environment. For more details on setting up an authenticator, see CCCApply Spam Filter User Account Setup (MFA).
Note: Chancellor's Office & Other External Stakeholders: All requests for access from CCC Chancellor's Office personnel or other external stakeholders should be directed to Jane Linder, Statewide Programs Director, Student Success Suite, jlinder@ccctechcenter.org.
How to Use
The Updated Spam Filter Utility utilizes existing workflow processes to ensure a seamless transition for colleges. This section explains how to perform common tasks using the enhanced interface layout.
Go to the Updated Spam Filter Utility Pilot environment and log in.
The Updated Spam Filter main screen will display:
Search and Filter
By default, the rows displayed in the Spam Filter table view will show only applications that have a Fraud Status of Checked (fraud_status = 3). If you wish to search ALL applications (including ones which have not been checked for fraud), use the top search bar.
The top search bar will search by CCCID, Full Name, or the App ID.
You can search multiple items at once by separating them with commas. Example: “123456, AAA1234, John Smith”
Caution: The Search function is currently case-sensitive. Please use appropriate capitalization when searching with text, such as full names and CCCIDs. In the example below, a search using “erica johnson” would not find an application with that name. You would need to search for “Erica Johnson” to get an accurate search result.
To filter for a particular value:
Click the filter icon next to the column header.
Enter the value you wish to filter on. In the example below, the text “Kat” in the First Name field is filtered, showing the only record with a first name that has that text.
From the dropdown, you may also may select different operators, such as “Does Not Contain”, “Equals, “Does Not Equal”, etc., to create a filter that matches your needs.
Columns that currently have a filter applied will have a blue dot indicated on the filter symbol in the column header. To remove filters:
Select the filter symbol on the affected column.
Select and delete the contents of the filter box. The table contents will dynamically adjust, even before you navigate away from the text field.
Horizontal Scroll
The new layout allows for more data columns to be displayed. Drag the scroll bar at the bottom to see all of the columns.
Customize Your View
Column Order
Table data columns can be reordered to fit your needs. To move a column, click on the column header to drag it to the desired position.
In the example below, the IP Address column is being moved.
As long as you use the same browser on the same device, the column order you selected will persist, meaning it will stay in the same order you set it. If you use the Updated Spam Filter Utility on another browser or device (phone, tablet, different computer), you will again need to set your columns in the order you prefer.
Column Sorting
When you have the columns in the order you want, you can click on a field to sort by that field. Note that this will sort all available rows, not just the ones displayed on screen.
In the example below, the IP Address column was clicked and the arrow indicates that it has been sorted in ascending order.
Alternatively, select the three dot menu (
To remove the sorting, click the three dot menu (
Pin Columns
A pinned column will remain on the screen while you are scrolling. For example, you may want to pin the First Name and Last Name columns so you can see the student’s name while scrolling to the right of the table. To pin a column:
Click the three dot menu (
Click Pin Column, then click Pin Left or Pin Right.
To remove pinned columns:
Select the three dot menu (
Select Pin Column>No Pin.
Choose Columns
To choose with columns you want to hide or show:
Click the three dot menu (
Select the " Choose Columns" tab in the menu that appears.
Check or uncheck the boxes next to column names to show or hide them.
Changes apply immediately to your table view.
You may also reset the columns back their original settings by clicking the three dot menu (
Keyboard Navigation
For users who prefer keyboard navigation, the Updated Spam Filter Utility interface supports common keyboard shortcuts:
Press Enter when a table row is focused to open the Application Detail modal.
Press Escape to close the Application Detail modal.
Use Tab to navigate forward between interactive elements (buttons, checkboxes, filters).
Use Shift + Tab to navigate backward through interactive elements.
Use Arrow keys to navigate between table rows.
Press Enter in the search box to execute your search (instead of clicking the Search button).
Switching Between Colleges
For users responsible for (and having access to) multiple colleges, you can switch between colleges to view and manage applications from different institutions.
In the upper left corner you will see College: dropdown with a default college. In the example below, the default is Test College 1 (ZZ1).
To change colleges, click the dropdown and select the college you wish to view. Only colleges you have access to will show up in the drop down list.
If the college you select does not have any unevaluated applications, you will get a message indicating that there is no data to display.
Superusers, such as Chancellor’s Office users, will see all colleges in the drop down list, including the test colleges (ZZ1 and ZZ2).
Viewing Application Details
To view the details of an application:
Click on a row in the main table. The application details will appear:
In this example, just below the applicant’s name, you see the Application ID and the status of the identity verification. A box containing common critical information is shown below in the Insights group. To the right, it shows that the status application has been checked, and it has a Fraud Score of 80.62.
You may copy the contents of any field by hovering over the field and clicking the copy button.
Scroll down the page to see additional information, grouped into sections of similar and related content, including:
Application details
Applicant information
Location (IP addresses and mailing addresses)
Education history
Residency
Needs and interests
To open an email to the student, click on the email address:
To open an IP location finder tool with the IP address populated, click the IP address:
After reviewing the application details, you may also use the Mark Fraud or Mark Valid buttons in the upper right corner to confirm the fraud status of this application. For details on how to set fraud status on multiple applications, see Setting Fraud Status of Applications.
To Research Further
The Application Details screen has several features to make it convenient to conduct additional research into possible fraud:
Launch New Email: Clicking the applicant’s email address will open a new email in your local email client with the applicant’s email already populated.
Copy Field Value: Hover to the right of any of the values shown and a small, grey ‘pages’ icon will appear under the cursor. Clicking this icon will copy that value into your computer’s clipboard.
IP Details: Clicking a hyperlinked IP address will cause a new browser window to open with additional geolocation details.
Setting Fraud Status of Applications
From the main table, select an application you wish to mark as either Fraud or Valid by first selecting the checkbox to the left of the row. If appropriate, you may set multiple applications to the same status by selecting the checkboxes on multiple rows:
When the applications are selected, click the appropriate button in the upper right, to assign all of the selected applications the desired status:
Mark Fraud button: The college should select this action to confirm that the application meets the criteria for fraud and should NOT be delivered to the college.
Mark Valid button: The college should select this action to remove the application from the spam suspension folder and push the application to be delivered to the college.
Click the Confirm button. A confirmation screen will appear:
Searching and Reprocessing Applications
By default, applications that have been confirmed as Fraud or Valid will not show up in the Updated Spam Filter list of results. To see confirmed applications, use the top search to search by CCCID, Full Name, or App ID.
Searches performed from the top search bar will attempt to return all matching applications, regardless of their current fraud status.
From there, you can follow the instructions in Settling Fraud Status of Applications to change the fraud status on the application.