What is email spoofing?

What is email spoofing? Email spoofing is the creation of an email header to make the message appear to have originated from someone else.

FAQ · Email Spoofing

Email spoofing is the practice of forging an email's header information so the message appears to come from someone or somewhere other than its actual source, most commonly used in phishing and spam campaigns to make a malicious email look like it was sent by someone the recipient knows and trusts.

Why spoofing works

An email header can be manipulated so the 'from' name and address shown to the recipient do not match where the message actually originated. Because the message appears to come from a colleague, supplier, or executive, the recipient is far more likely to trust its contents — click a link, open an attachment, or act on an instruction such as paying an invoice — than they would from an obviously unknown sender.

This technique underpins some of the most costly attacks businesses face, including business email compromise, where a spoofed message impersonating a senior executive or supplier instructs a member of staff to make a payment.

How to reduce the risk of spoofed email

Deploy email authentication standards (SPF, DKIM and DMARC) on your own domain so spoofed messages using your company's name are more easily rejected or flagged.
Train staff to verify unusual requests — particularly payment instructions — through a separate channel, such as a phone call, rather than trusting the email alone.
Look for subtle inconsistencies: a reply-to address that doesn't match the sender, unusual urgency, or a request that bypasses normal approval processes.
Use professional anti-spam and email security tooling that flags likely spoofed messages before they reach the inbox.

Frequently asked questions

How is email spoofing different from phishing?

Spoofing is the technique of forging the sender's identity; phishing is the broader attack that uses that (and other techniques) to trick the recipient into an action such as clicking a link or transferring funds. Spoofing is often the mechanism, phishing is the goal.

Can spoofed emails be blocked entirely?

Not entirely, but properly configured SPF, DKIM and DMARC records on your domain, combined with professional email filtering, substantially reduce how many spoofed messages reach an inbox.

What should staff do if they suspect a spoofed email?

Do not click any links or reply directly; verify the request through a known, separate channel such as a phone call, and report the email to your IT provider immediately.

Related services and guides

Practical advice, no obligation

Worried about spoofed emails impersonating your business?

Complete Cyber Security can secure your domain and train your staff to spot spoofed messages.

Book Your Free 30-Minute Consultation

What is email spoofing? Email spoofing is the creation of an email header to make the message appear to have originated from someone or somewhere other than the actual source. Email spoofing is used in email phishing and spam campaigns - you're more likely to open an email when they think it has been sent by a legitimate source. In other words, the email looks as if it's from someone you know. So you open it and then click a link, or pay an invoice... Check out our video log on LinkedIn, describing how we helped a customer avoid a million dollar fraud.