
Email Spoofing FAQ’s
How Is Email Spoofed?
- FROM name/address
- REPLY-TO name/address
- RETURN-PATH address
- SOURCE IP address
email is used to dishonestly market an online service or sell you a bogus product.
Did I do something wrong?
What should I do if I think I have been spoofed?
account. Since this isn’t always possible, we can create a temporary filter in Contact your business contacts. Let your connections know that you have been a victim of spoofing and make sure they double check any emails that appear to have come from you BEFORE opening them or clicking on anything. Have them question if you asking for something you typically wouldn’t ask for. We had a client recently spoofed. An email went to the entire team asking
How can I protect myself?
Here are a few places spammers may acquire your email address. There are programs and software designed to do nothing else but scavenge the internet for email addresses:
- On a website contact page
- Domain WHOIS records (Hover offers free WHOIS privacy on all domains that support this
- feature. We recommend using it whenever possible)
- Mailing lists. Some of them are legitimate, but others may sell your information
- Anything you post online with your email address in it.
While there is no fool-proof way to prevent spoofing of your email address, there are some “best practices” to follow when it comes to your email
Change your password frequently. Always run full virus scans on your computer (at least once a week). Avoid including your email address in online blogs and posts. Try using (at) and (dot)com instead of @ and .com to prevent malicious automations from harvesting your address. Avoid using your primary email account for everything online. If you are signing up for something like a mailing list, contest, application form, or something similar, use a free throwaway email account like Gmail or Hotmail, something you don’t mind deleting if it gets abused. Only use your primary email to communicate with people you know or trust.