---
title: "How can the finance sector leverage DMARC to defend against email fraud? | DuoCircle"
description: "How can the finance sector leverage DMARC to defend against email fraud?"
image: "https://www.duocircle.com/images/og-default.png"
canonical: "https://www.duocircle.com/blog/dmarc/how-finance-sector-leverages-dmarc-to-defend-against-email-fraud/"
---

Quick Answer

Financial institutions are high-value targets for email fraud because attackers can monetize spoofed account alerts, payment requests, fake regulatory notices, and malware-laden statement attachments. DMARC defends the customer-facing domain by working with SPF and DKIM: SPF lists authorized sending IPs, DKIM cryptographically signs messages, and DMARC ties them to the From-header domain and tells receivers what to do with failures. Without DMARC, attackers can send mail that displays as login@yourbank.com and reach customer inboxes; with p=quarantine or p=reject, those messages are blocked or routed to spam. Aggregate reports identify every source sending in the institution's name, exposing both unauthorized abuse and misconfigured legitimate tools. Implementation is staged: start at p=none, confirm every legitimate sender (transactional, marketing, statements, support) passes alignment, then advance to quarantine, then reject.

How can the finance sector leverage DMARC to defend against email fraud?

Your browser does not support the audio element.

[ Download episode](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2025/08/How-can-the-finance-sector-leverage-DMARC-to-defend-against-email-fraud.mp3) 

Share 

[ ](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=undefined%2Fblog%2Fdmarc%2Fhow-finance-sector-leverages-dmarc-to-defend-against-email-fraud%2F "Share on LinkedIn") [ ](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=How%20can%20the%20finance%20sector%20leverage%20DMARC%20to%20defend%20against%20email%20fraud%3F&url=undefined%2Fblog%2Fdmarc%2Fhow-finance-sector-leverages-dmarc-to-defend-against-email-fraud%2F "Share on X/Twitter") [ ](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=undefined%2Fblog%2Fdmarc%2Fhow-finance-sector-leverages-dmarc-to-defend-against-email-fraud%2F "Share on Facebook") [ ](https://reddit.com/submit?url=undefined%2Fblog%2Fdmarc%2Fhow-finance-sector-leverages-dmarc-to-defend-against-email-fraud%2F&title=How%20can%20the%20finance%20sector%20leverage%20DMARC%20to%20defend%20against%20email%20fraud%3F "Share on Reddit") [ ](mailto:?subject=How%20can%20the%20finance%20sector%20leverage%20DMARC%20to%20defend%20against%20email%20fraud%3F&body=Check out this article: undefined%2Fblog%2Fdmarc%2Fhow-finance-sector-leverages-dmarc-to-defend-against-email-fraud%2F "Share via Email") 

![DMARC](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2025/08/email-sending-services-6750.jpg) 

The finance sector thrives on trust. The fact that your clients are putting their **hard-earned money** in your company or institution shows that they not only have confidence in your financial products or services, but also that they believe you have the ability to keep their assets and data safe. But, truth be told, their money and data aren’t really safe unless you actively protect them.

These days, [cyberattackers](https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/security/us-officials-urge-americans-use-encrypted-apps-cyberattack-rcna182694) are devising new ways to dupe unsuspecting customers, and sometimes even the most vigilant users can’t spot their tactics. This is especially prevalent in the finance sector, where the bait is so lucrative that attackers go the extra mile to craft indistinguishably real emails. The high value of transactions and the **sensitivity of customer data** make financial institutions one of the most attractive targets for cybercriminals. 

So, how can you **protect your customers** and your institution from these [email-based threats](https://www.trendmicro.com/vinfo/us/security/news/threat-landscape/email-threat-landscape-report-evolving-threats-in-email-based-attacks)? The simple answer is DMARC. This authentication protocol helps organizations protect their domain from unauthorized access and usage. 

Let’s see how companies in the finance industry can leverage DMARC to protect their domains from email-based threats like [phishing and spoofing](https://www.msspalert.com/brief/novel-usps-spoofing-phishing-attack-relies-on-malicious-pdfs).

[![email-based threats ](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2025/08/spf-record-4421.jpg)](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2025/08/spf-record-4421.jpg)

## What is DMARC, and how does it work?

DMARC, or Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance, is a security protocol that lets you decide what happens to emails that claim to come from your domain but fail authentication checks. It builds on **two other authentication protocols**, [SPF](https://autospf.com/blog/spf-guide-understanding-sender-policy-framework/) (Sender Policy Framework) and DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail). 

With SPF, you can specify which [mail servers](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/email-security/what-is-a-mail-server/) are authorized to send emails on your behalf. _The list usually includes your primary email-sending domain, any third-party senders, and systems that send transactional messages like account alerts or statements_. DKIM, on the other hand, adds a [digital signature](https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/definition/digital-signature) to your emails so that receiving mail servers can verify the message hasn’t been changed. DMARC brings these two checks together and ensures they align with the “From” address that your customers actually see.

For your financial institution, this means that you now have more control over how the **receiving servers handle emails** that fail these checks. Let’s say one of your customers receives a fraudulent email that claims to come from your bank, with the sender’s address as “[login@yourbank.com](mailto:loginn@yourbank.com)”. If the address is not listed in your [SPF record](/content/spf-records), and nor does it have a valid [DKIM signature](https://docs.mapp.com/docs/dkim-signature), DMARC will flag the email as unauthenticated and instruct the receiving server to quarantine or reject it, based on the policy you’ve configured. 

[![SPF record](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2025/08/spf-record-check-4421.jpg)](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2025/08/spf-record-check-4421.jpg)

## What if you don’t implement DMARC?

As a financial institution, you’d hardly expect email to be the weakest link in your entire security chain. But this is exactly what cybercriminals exploit. They send out fake emails that impersonate your **bank’s tone and brand identity** to your customers and ask them to share important information like [login credentials](https://cybernews.com/security/billions-credentials-exposed-infostealers-data-leak/), OTPs, or even authorize familiar-looking payments. All this happens when your email ecosystem isn’t well-protected. 

Here’s what would happen if you don’t safeguard your domain with [DMARC](/resources/what-is-dmarc):

### Fake account updates

_If you don’t secure your email sending domain with DMARC, attackers will send your users fake emails pretending to be you_. These emails carry [fake messages](https://www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/2025/04/text-scams-grow-to-steal-hundreds-of-millions-of-dollars) about account balances, login attempts, or transaction alerts. And customers thinking that these emails are legitimate might respond to them, click on malicious links, or disclose personal details, thereby putting both their accounts and your reputation at risk.

### Make fraudulent payment requests

This is the most common tactic that attackers use to dupe users. They impersonate your institution to send spoofed emails asking them to authorize a payment, [share an OTP](https://thehackernews.com/2024/07/cybercriminals-deploy-100k-malware.html), or settle invoices. Since the sending domains of these emails appear legitimate, users don’t even question the **authenticity and end up** transferring funds or revealing critical information. 

[![preventing payment fraud](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2025/08/spf-validator-3451.jpg)](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2025/08/spf-validator-3451.jpg)

### Send malware-laden reports

_If your domain isn’t protected, attackers can send your clients emails containing infected files disguised as bank statements, investment reports, or tax documents_. Since these emails aren’t blocked by DMARC, customers may open them believing they are legitimate. Once opened, these attachments can install malware into their systems, [steal sensitive information](https://www.mcafee.com/blogs/security-news/data-breach-exposes-3-billion-personal-information-records/), or lock devices until a ransom is paid. 

### Impersonate regulators or payment networks

Without DMARC, attackers can exploit your domain to send [spoofed emails](https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/google/google-now-blocks-spoofed-emails-for-better-phishing-protection/) that appear to come from trusted regulators or payment networks. _Coming from big, reputed regulatory bodies, these emails can easily trick users or your clients into sharing confidential information or complying with fake instructions_. Since they seem legitimate, chances are, your customers might act on it without checking the **authenticity of the email** or the sender, which can put themselves and your reputation at risk. 

## How can you protect your domain with DMARC?

DMARC gives you the authority to decide how to handle emails that try using your domain without proper authentication. By implementing DMARC with SPF and [DKIM](/resources/what-is-dkim), you can ensure that only verified emails get through and **reach the audience’s inbox**, and the ones that fail authentication are either blocked or quarantined. This is very important for your financial institution as it reduces the risk of fraud and protects customer trust. In fact, DMARC also sends you regular reports that include important information like who is sending emails on your behalf, helping you quickly spot unauthorized activity and strengthen your [email security](/) over time.

[![email security](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2025/08/sender-policy-framework-4421.jpg)](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2025/08/sender-policy-framework-4421.jpg)

## Should you DIY DMARC implementation?

[DMARC enforcement](/dmarc/is-your-dmarc-enforcement-strict-enough/) is important, but it is just as easy to get it wrong if you don’t have proper expertise. If your [DMARC records](/resources/dmarc-records) aren’t correctly configured, your [legitimate emails](https://www.trendmicro.com/en%5Fus/what-is.html) might even get blocked, preventing critical communications like account alerts, statements, or payment reminders from reaching customers. This can really disrupt operations, create confusion for clients, and erode the very trust you are trying to protect.

So, to avoid these risks, it is recommended that you seek expert assistance to implement DMARC. When done right, DMARC can not only **protect your domain** from misuse but also ensure that your genuine emails always reach your customers, keeping both their money and your reputation safe.

Need help implementing DMARC for your domain? [Get in touch with us](/contact) today!

## Topics

DKIMDMARCemail securitySecurityspfSPF record 

![Brad Slavin](https://media.mailhop.org/dmarcreport/images/team/brad-slavin.jpg) 

Brad Slavin 

General Manager

General Manager at DuoCircle. Product strategy and commercial lead across the email security portfolio.

## Secure your email infrastructure

Protect, authenticate, and deliver. Contact our team to find the right solution.

[Contact Sales](/contact/) [Explore Products](/products/) 

## Related Articles

[  DMARC 7m  Cloudflare’s new SPF, DKIM, and DMARC requirements  Jul 18, 2025 ](/blog/dmarc/cloudflares-new-spf-dkim-and-dmarc-requirements/)[  DMARC 5m  DMARC is now mandatory in New Zealand: Here’s what the NZ government expects  Jul 9, 2025 ](/blog/dmarc/dmarc-mandatory-new-zealand-nz-government-email-security-requirements/)[  DMARC 17m  SPF Record Generator: Create Accurate SPF Records for Email Authentication  Apr 1, 2025 ](/blog/dmarc/spf-record-generator-create-accurate-spf-records-for-email-authentication/)[  DMARC 6m  How to become a DMARC expert: a 6-step learning path  Sep 24, 2024 ](/blog/dmarc/a-detailed-guide-on-becoming-a-dmarc-expert/)

```json
{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Organization","name":"DuoCircle LLC","url":"https://www.duocircle.com","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://www.duocircle.com/images/duocircle-logo.png"},"description":"DuoCircle is a portfolio of specialized email products covering protection, authentication, delivery, and routing. We deliver about 90% of category-leader capability at roughly half the price, backed by experts who own the outcome. Trusted by 50,000+ organizations since 2014.","subOrganization":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138898167","name":"DMARC Report","url":"https://dmarcreport.com"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138897474","name":"AutoSPF","url":"https://autospf.com"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138897912","name":"Phish Protection","url":"https://www.phishprotection.com"}],"sameAs":["https://www.linkedin.com/company/duocircle","https://x.com/duocirclellc","https://www.facebook.com/duocirclellc","https://www.g2.com/products/phish-protection-by-duocircle/reviews","https://github.com/duocircle","https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/duocircle-llc"],"contactPoint":{"@type":"ContactPoint","contactType":"customer support","url":"https://support.duocircle.com"},"knowsAbout":["Email Security","Email Authentication","SPF","DKIM","DMARC","Phishing Protection","Spam Filtering","SMTP Relay","Email Deliverability","Email Forwarding"]}
```

```json
{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"WebSite","name":"DuoCircle LLC","url":"https://www.duocircle.com","description":"DuoCircle is a portfolio of specialized email products covering protection, authentication, delivery, and routing. We deliver about 90% of category-leader capability at roughly half the price, backed by experts who own the outcome. Trusted by 50,000+ organizations since 2014.","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"DuoCircle LLC","url":"https://www.duocircle.com","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://www.duocircle.com/images/duocircle-logo.png"},"description":"DuoCircle is a portfolio of specialized email products covering protection, authentication, delivery, and routing. We deliver about 90% of category-leader capability at roughly half the price, backed by experts who own the outcome. Trusted by 50,000+ organizations since 2014.","subOrganization":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138898167","name":"DMARC Report","url":"https://dmarcreport.com"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138897474","name":"AutoSPF","url":"https://autospf.com"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138897912","name":"Phish Protection","url":"https://www.phishprotection.com"}]}}
```

```json
[{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BlogPosting","headline":"How can the finance sector leverage DMARC to defend against email fraud?","description":"How can the finance sector leverage DMARC to defend against email fraud?","url":"https://www.duocircle.com/blog/dmarc/how-finance-sector-leverages-dmarc-to-defend-against-email-fraud/","datePublished":"2025-08-20T17:20:12.000Z","dateModified":"2025-08-20T17:26:27.000Z","dateCreated":"2025-08-20T17:20:12.000Z","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https://www.duocircle.com/authors/brad-slavin/#person","name":"Brad Slavin","url":"https://www.duocircle.com/authors/brad-slavin/","jobTitle":"General Manager","description":"Brad Slavin runs DuoCircle, the company behind DMARC Report, AutoSPF, Phish Protection, and Mailhop. His focus is product strategy, customer relationships, and the commercial and compliance side of email authentication (DPAs, SLAs, enterprise procurement).","image":"https://media.mailhop.org/dmarcreport/images/team/brad-slavin.jpg","knowsAbout":["Email Security Strategy","SaaS Product Management","Enterprise Compliance","Customer Success","Email Deliverability Business"],"worksFor":{"@type":"Organization","name":"DuoCircle LLC","url":"https://www.duocircle.com"},"sameAs":["https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradslavin"]},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"DuoCircle LLC","url":"https://www.duocircle.com","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://www.duocircle.com/images/duocircle-logo.png"},"description":"DuoCircle is a portfolio of specialized email products covering protection, authentication, delivery, and routing. We deliver about 90% of category-leader capability at roughly half the price, backed by experts who own the outcome. Trusted by 50,000+ organizations since 2014.","subOrganization":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138898167","name":"DMARC Report","url":"https://dmarcreport.com"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138897474","name":"AutoSPF","url":"https://autospf.com"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138897912","name":"Phish Protection","url":"https://www.phishprotection.com"}]},"mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.duocircle.com/blog/dmarc/how-finance-sector-leverages-dmarc-to-defend-against-email-fraud/"},"articleSection":"dmarc","keywords":"DKIM, DMARC, email security, Security, spf, SPF record","wordCount":1023,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2025/08/email-sending-services-6750.jpg","caption":"DMARC","width":900,"height":600},"speakable":{"@type":"SpeakableSpecification","cssSelector":[".answer-block","h1"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Blog","item":"https://www.duocircle.com/blog/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"DMARC"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"How can the finance sector leverage DMARC to defend against email fraud?","item":"https://www.duocircle.com/blog/dmarc/how-finance-sector-leverages-dmarc-to-defend-against-email-fraud/"}]}]
```

```json
{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://www.duocircle.com/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Blog","item":"https://www.duocircle.com/blog/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"DMARC","item":"https://www.duocircle.comundefined"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"How can the finance sector leverage DMARC to defend against email fraud?","item":"https://www.duocircle.com/blog/dmarc/how-finance-sector-leverages-dmarc-to-defend-against-email-fraud/"}]}
```

```json
{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BlogPosting","headline":"How can the finance sector leverage DMARC to defend against email fraud?","description":"How can the finance sector leverage DMARC to defend against email fraud?","url":"https://www.duocircle.com/blog/dmarc/how-finance-sector-leverages-dmarc-to-defend-against-email-fraud/","datePublished":"2025-08-20T17:20:12.000Z","dateModified":"2025-08-20T17:26:27.000Z","dateCreated":"2025-08-20T17:20:12.000Z","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https://www.duocircle.com/authors/brad-slavin/#person","name":"Brad Slavin","url":"https://www.duocircle.com/authors/brad-slavin/","jobTitle":"General Manager","description":"Brad Slavin runs DuoCircle, the company behind DMARC Report, AutoSPF, Phish Protection, and Mailhop. His focus is product strategy, customer relationships, and the commercial and compliance side of email authentication (DPAs, SLAs, enterprise procurement).","image":"https://media.mailhop.org/dmarcreport/images/team/brad-slavin.jpg","knowsAbout":["Email Security Strategy","SaaS Product Management","Enterprise Compliance","Customer Success","Email Deliverability Business"],"worksFor":{"@type":"Organization","name":"DuoCircle LLC","url":"https://www.duocircle.com"},"sameAs":["https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradslavin"]},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"DuoCircle LLC","url":"https://www.duocircle.com","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://www.duocircle.com/images/duocircle-logo.png"},"description":"DuoCircle is a portfolio of specialized email products covering protection, authentication, delivery, and routing. We deliver about 90% of category-leader capability at roughly half the price, backed by experts who own the outcome. Trusted by 50,000+ organizations since 2014.","subOrganization":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138898167","name":"DMARC Report","url":"https://dmarcreport.com"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138897474","name":"AutoSPF","url":"https://autospf.com"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138897912","name":"Phish Protection","url":"https://www.phishprotection.com"}]},"mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.duocircle.com/blog/dmarc/how-finance-sector-leverages-dmarc-to-defend-against-email-fraud/"},"articleSection":"dmarc","keywords":"DKIM, DMARC, email security, Security, spf, SPF record","wordCount":1023,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2025/08/email-sending-services-6750.jpg","caption":"DMARC","width":900,"height":600},"speakable":{"@type":"SpeakableSpecification","cssSelector":[".answer-block","h1"]}}
```