number of e-mail messages

Using dialup modem, Windows 98 and Outlook Express 5. Sometimes when receiving messages, the indication is that there are 2 messages and I get 1. Sometimes the indication is 7 messages and I get 6, etc. Usually the count of messages is correct. Have had no one complain about my not responding to them, so no serious messages lost, if any. Call ISP Tech Support on such occasions. All they do is tell me that they checked and all messages have been sent to me. So what is happening and is there a cure?

 

do you have any blocked senders, or message rules that may be doing something with the extra message?

i get the same thing at times (boy are we bored or what, watching email messages download LOL) and assume that's what it is
- to my knowledge i'm not missing any messages or i would have gotten a call or duplicate message