Suped

Summary

Receiving bounce messages for emails you didn't send from your domain can be alarming, but it's a common issue primarily stemming from email spoofing or backscatter spam. This means that malicious actors are forging your domain's email address in the 'From' field of their spam messages, and when these illicit emails are rejected by recipient servers, the bounce notifications are directed back to your legitimate domain.

What email marketers say

Email marketers frequently encounter the frustrating scenario of receiving bounce messages for emails they never sent. Their discussions often revolve around understanding the root cause, typically email spoofing, and assessing the potential impact on their sender reputation. Marketers tend to seek reassurance that their own systems are not compromised and look for practical steps to prevent such incidents.

Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks reports a sudden surge in bounce messages for @wanadoo.fr emails, suspecting a bug or external issue since the addresses are unknown. They observed a 200%+ increase, receiving 19,252 bounces for only 9,137 emails sent.

19 Jun 2019 - Email Geeks

Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks indicates no similar issues on their end, though their sending volume to France is lower, suggesting the problem might be localized or specific to the original sender's profile.

19 Jun 2019 - Email Geeks

What the experts say

Email deliverability experts consistently pinpoint email spoofing as the primary reason for receiving bounce messages for emails you didn't send. They emphasize that while unsettling, this issue is often a sign that recipient servers are effectively rejecting illegitimate mail, and that robust email authentication, particularly DMARC, is the most effective defense against it.

Expert view

Deliverability Expert from SpamResource advises that receiving non-delivery reports for emails you did not send is a classic symptom of backscatter, resulting from your domain being spoofed. They emphasize that this indicates legitimate receiving servers are doing their job.

14 Feb 2024 - SpamResource

Expert view

Deliverability Expert from SpamResource suggests that the primary defense against email spoofing, which causes unwanted bounce messages, is the proper implementation of DMARC. They recommend starting with a monitoring policy and gradually enforcing it.

14 Feb 2024 - SpamResource

What the documentation says

Official internet standards (RFCs) and technical documentation provide the foundational understanding of how email protocols work, including the vulnerabilities that enable spoofing and backscatter. These documents detail the mechanisms like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC that are designed to mitigate such issues by authenticating sending domains and providing clear instructions for handling unauthenticated messages.

Technical article

RFC 5322 Documentation states that the 'From' header field, visible to email recipients, does not require authentication and can be easily spoofed by malicious actors. This structural allowance is a primary enabler of email impersonation.

01 Jan 2008 - RFC 5322

Technical article

RFC 5321 Documentation explains that the 'Return-Path' address, also known as the 'MAIL FROM' address, is where bounce messages are sent, and this address is often used by spammers as the forged sender to direct bounces away from themselves.

01 Jan 2008 - RFC 5321

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