--- title: "Why is Sending Forged and Impersonated Emails Easy? | DuoCircle" description: "Why is Sending Forged and Impersonated Emails Easy?" image: "https://www.duocircle.com/images/og-default.png" canonical: "https://www.duocircle.com/blog/email-security/why-is-sending-forged-and-impersonated-emails-easy/" --- Quick Answer Forged email is easy because SMTP was never designed to authenticate senders. Roughly 3.4 billion forged emails are sent each day; 1,339 brands were impersonated in Q4 2023, and SlashNext recorded a 1,265% rise in phishing emails between Q4 2022 and Q3 2023\. Three design gaps make spoofing trivial: SMTP has no built-in identity verification, so any host can claim any sender; header fields including From and Reply-To accept arbitrary values, so display name and address can be faked in seconds; and receiving servers without an external authentication layer cannot tell a real sender from a forged one. The fix is the layer SMTP lacks: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC let receivers verify the sending IP, the message integrity, and the alignment of the visible From-domain. Why is Sending Forged and Impersonated Emails Easy? Your browser does not support the audio element. [ Download episode](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2024/05/Why-is-Sending-Forged-and-Impersonated-Emails-Easy.mp3) Share [ ](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=undefined%2Fblog%2Femail-security%2Fwhy-is-sending-forged-and-impersonated-emails-easy%2F "Share on LinkedIn") [ ](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Why%20is%20Sending%20Forged%20and%20Impersonated%20Emails%20Easy%3F&url=undefined%2Fblog%2Femail-security%2Fwhy-is-sending-forged-and-impersonated-emails-easy%2F "Share on X/Twitter") [ ](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=undefined%2Fblog%2Femail-security%2Fwhy-is-sending-forged-and-impersonated-emails-easy%2F "Share on Facebook") [ ](https://reddit.com/submit?url=undefined%2Fblog%2Femail-security%2Fwhy-is-sending-forged-and-impersonated-emails-easy%2F&title=Why%20is%20Sending%20Forged%20and%20Impersonated%20Emails%20Easy%3F "Share on Reddit") [ ](mailto:?subject=Why%20is%20Sending%20Forged%20and%20Impersonated%20Emails%20Easy%3F&body=Check out this article: undefined%2Fblog%2Femail-security%2Fwhy-is-sending-forged-and-impersonated-emails-easy%2F "Share via Email") ![Forged and Impersonated Emails](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2024/05/sender-policy-framework-1005.jpg) On average, [3.4 billion forged emails](https://www.stationx.net/phishing-statistics/) are **sent each day**, and in the fourth quarter of 2023 alone, [1339 brands](https://www.techopedia.com/phishing-statistics) became victims of phishing attacks. The number of such instances is increasing year by year because email forging is becoming easier with automated tools, artificial intelligence, cybercrime-as-a-service (CaaS), etc. In fact, as per a report by SlashNext, there has been a [1,265% increase in phishing attacks](https://siliconangle.com/2023/10/30/slashnext-report-uncovers-1265-increase-phishing-emails-year/) in the 12 months from Q4 2022 to the end of Q3 2023. Considering all the **recent reports and statistics**, [forged emails](https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/lynne-charlotte-james-forged-emails-government-officials-cheat-boss-4202851) are becoming a concern across industries. Companies have started taking [cybersecurity](/) seriously, and if you are also on the same path, then it’s important that you understand why exactly it’s easy to send forged emails. Without knowing the base, your [cybersecurity effort](https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2024/05/latin-america-cybersecurity-report-ransomware-attacks/) can take a toll. That’s why this blog talks about [email system vulnerabilities](https://cybersecuritynews.com/critical-mailcleaner-vulnerabilities/) and the **means to patch** them. ## Why Forging Emails is Easy? There are several reasons contributing to [making emails a vulnerable medium for communication](https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/anz/1-out-3-top-australian-hospitals-prone-email-fraud-research), but here are the top ones- [![Forging Emails](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2024/05/spf-record-check-9009.jpg)](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2024/05/spf-record-check-9009.jpg) ### Email Protocols Lack Built-in Authentication Methods [SMTP service](/content/smtp-service) was designed with the purpose of making email exchange a simple process, and hence, no effort was directed at making it secure as well. Therefore, there is **no by-default technology** to verify the legitimacy of email senders. That’s why it’s easier for [threat actors to impersonate anyone](https://cybernews.com/news/disney-plus-email-brand-impersonation-attack/) and send emails in their names. _Since recipients’ **mailboxes have no built-in authentication** method, forged emails land in primary inboxes_. In most cases, **recipients are tricked** into thinking that emails have come from trusted and known sources, prompting them to take the requested action, such as sharing sensitive details, [wire-transferring money](https://edition.cnn.com/2024/02/04/asia/deepfake-cfo-scam-hong-kong-intl-hnk/index.html), [downloading malware-infected files](https://thehackernews.com/2024/03/watch-out-for-spoofed-zoom-skype-google.html), etc. ### Faking Sender Details in Headers is a Quick Job Bad actors easily fake sender information in email headers because of the inherent design of SMTP, which **allows easy customization**. They also use [social engineering](/phishing-protection/social-engineering-is-a-growing-threat/) tactics and exploit trust by deceiving recipients using simple tools and techniques. Everything is possible due to the **lack of verification** of header details in email protocols. [![ social media attacks](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2024/05/dkim-record-check-2.jpg)](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2024/05/dkim-record-check-2.jpg) ### Email Servers Don’t Verify Senders’ Authenticity _When you send an email, it travels from the sender’s server to the recipient’s server_. However, if the recipient’s server **doesn’t have an external mechanism** to verify the [legitimacy of the sender](/email-services/learning-to-trace-back-emails-to-their-source-ip-addresses/), it can’t detect forged messages. This loophole lets anyone [send emails pretending as someone](https://globalnews.ca/news/10013539/ns-rcmp-email-scam-police-threats/) and from a different address or with false information. What’s worse is that **people are not well-trained** to scrutinize emails, so they end up getting targeted. _This **lack of verification** creates a convenient avenue for individuals to send forged emails because no measures are in place to confirm the sender’s authenticity or the email’s integrity._ ## What’s the Solution? It’s not easy to entirely ward off [phishing attacks](https://www.nextgov.com/cybersecurity/2024/05/us-warns-north-korean-hackers-using-email-security-flaws-phishing-attacks/396279/), but a **combination of a few techniques** can surely minimize their probability and keep you secure. [SPF](/content/spf-record-check), [DKIM](/resources/what-is-dkim), and DMARC are [email authentication protocols](/dmarc/how-spf-dkim-and-dmarc-help-in-email-authentication-in-2024/) that help recipients’ servers check the authenticity of senders, ensure the email contents were **not modified in transit**, and direct the receiving mailboxes on how to handle illegitimate emails sent from your domain. Implementing these protocols can significantly reduce the risk of [email-based threats](https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/types-of-email-attacks/) and **improve trust** in email communications. To get started with SPF, DKIM, and [DMARC](/email/dmarc), [reach out to our team](/contact). _We will make the initial **deployment and monitoring** journey easier._ ## Topics DMARCemail securityTrends ![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 [ Email Security 8m Designing A Custom Dkim Architecture For High-Volume Email Senders Apr 28, 2026 ](/blog/designing-custom-dkim-architecture-for-high-volume-email-senders/)[ Email Security 12m DMARC, SPF, and DKIM in 2026: Why Email Authentication Is Now a Regulatory Requirement, Not Just a Best Practice Apr 29, 2026 ](/blog/dmarc-spf-dkim-2026-email-authentication-regulatory-requirement-best-practice/)[ Email Security 5m Email Monitoring Tools: A Complete Guide to Protecting Your Email Ecosystem May 7, 2026 ](/blog/email-monitoring-tools-guide-protecting-your-email-ecosystem-security/)[ Email Security 15m 12 Best Hosted SMTP Servers for High Deliverability in 2026 Apr 8, 2026 ](/blog/email-security/12-best-hosted-smtp-servers-for-high-deliverability-in-2026/) ```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. 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