If you get undeliverable or bounce messages for email you didn't send

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Spoofing

Spammers commonly forge the headers of messages they send, making it appear as though they originated elsewhere. This is called "spoofing". Spammers harvest vast numbers of email addresses, or even guess common email addresses, and then put these addresses in the "To:" and the "From:" fields of the millions of email messages they send out. Some of the messages they send will end up bouncing, and when they do, the forged address in the "From:" (or "Sender") field, which may be yours, receives a non-delivery receipt (or bounce).

Viruses

Some viruses, such as Klez and Sobig, spoof the sender's address. An infected computer sends out infected messages and puts addresses in the "To:" and "From:" fields that it finds somewhere on the infected computer (these email addresses could even be in a stored document or cached web page). If the "To:" address doesn't work, the message bounces, often back to the "From:" address, which may be yours. Your address may also appear in the "Reply-To:" field in the email header.

To reduce the risk of your computer being infected, UITS recommends that you update your virus pattern file and scan your computer; check your antivirus software help for instructions. If you find no viruses, then you can assume that your email address was spoofed.

For tips on spam and viruses, see:

This is document amja in the Knowledge Base.
Last modified on 2021-03-29 09:24:57.