How to tell if an email is fake
Check the address, then check the message. An address is fake if it fails verification or sits on a disposable domain. A message is fake if its sender does not match and its links go somewhere else.
ValidReach Team · Updated 2026-10-26
A fake address
Look for signs a verifier reports: invalid status, no mail server for the domain, a disposable domain, or a typo domain. Free-mail and role addresses are not fake, just less personal.
A fake message
Open the full headers and read the SPF, DKIM and DMARC results. Hover over links before clicking. Be wary of urgency and requests for credentials or payment.
When unsure
Do not click. Contact the sender through a channel you already trust.
Good to know
A pass on authentication means the message came from the domain it claims, not that the domain is trustworthy. Verification does not detect malicious messages.