Definition
Email fraud protection encompasses technologies, policies, and practices that protect your email programme from malicious activities. Fraud can target your brand (phishing attacks using your domain), your subscribers (scams in your emails), or your infrastructure (using your sending reputation for malicious purposes).
Protecting against email fraud preserves your sender reputation, protects your subscribers from harm, and maintains trust in your email communications.
Types of Email Fraud
| Fraud Type | Description | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Domain spoofing | Fraudsters send from your domain without authorisation | Reputation damage, phishing victims |
| Phishing | Fraudulent emails pretending to be your brand | Subscriber data theft |
| Account takeover | Unauthorised access to your ESP account | List theft, reputation destruction |
| Fake signups | Bot-submitted fraudulent addresses | List contamination, spam trap hits |
| Click fraud | Automated clicks on your email links | Skewed metrics, wasted ad spend |
| Subscription bombing | Massive fake signups to trigger ESP limits | Account suspension |
Protection Measures
| Protection | What It Does | Implementation |
|---|---|---|
| SPF | Authorises which IPs can send for your domain | DNS record |
| DKIM | Cryptographically signs your emails | DNS record + signing key |
| DMARC | Tells receivers how to handle unauthenticated email | DNS policy record |
| BIMI | Associates your brand logo with authenticated emails | DNS + VMC certificate |
| List verification | Checks new signups for validity | Real-time API |
| Rate limiting | Limits signup attempts per IP | Application code |
| CAPTCHA | Distinguishes humans from bots | Forms and signup pages |
Monitoring for Fraud
- Monitor DMARC reports for unauthenticated sending sources
- Track complaint rates for sudden spikes that indicate phishing
- Monitor signup patterns for bot-like activity
- Check blacklists for your domain being listed
- Set up Google Alerts for your brand name + "email" or "scam"
- Use brand monitoring services to detect phishing sites
Related Glossary Terms
AOL Mail for Email Marketers
AOL Mail is a legacy email provider with specific deliverability requirements and rendering quirks, now operating as part of the Yahoo+AOL network under shared infrastructure.
BIMI
BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) is an email standard that allows brands to display their logo next to their emails in supported email clients. It requires DMARC enforcement at quarantine or reject policy.
Bounce Rate
Email bounce rate is the percentage of emails that were rejected by the receiving server before reaching the recipient. It is a key indicator of list health and data quality.
Email Deliverability
Email deliverability is the ability to land in the recipient's inbox rather than the spam folder. It depends on sender reputation, authentication, list quality, and content practices.
DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail)
DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) is an email authentication method that uses digital signatures to verify that an email was not tampered with during transit and comes from a authorised domain.
DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication)
DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance) is an email authentication protocol that builds on SPF and DKIM to prevent domain spoofing and provide reporting on authentication failures.
Frequently Asked Questions
Implement DMARC with a p=reject policy. SPF and DKIM alone don't prevent spoofing — DMARC tells receiving servers to reject emails that fail authentication. Monitor DMARC reports to identify unauthorised senders before tightening your policy.
Report the phishing emails to the hosting providers, register a DMARC p=reject policy, notify your subscribers through an alternative channel, and contact your ESP for guidance. Work with a cybersecurity professional for active phishing attacks.
Implement CAPTCHA (reCAPTCHA v3 or Turnstile), use email verification APIs, apply rate limiting on signup endpoints, validate email domains, and use honeypot fields. Monitor signup velocity for unusual spikes that indicate bot activity.