What is Email Spoofing
Email Spoofing is the forgery of an email header, making it appear that the message originates from someone or somewhere other than the actual source.
Reasons for email spoofing
Spoofing occurs for a number of reasons, but the most common reason is to steal a company's private information. Here are some of the most common reasons behind this malicious act:
- phishing. Almost universally, email spoofing is a gateway for phishing. Pretending to be someone the recipient knows is a tactic to get the person to click on malicious links or provide sensitive information.
- Identity theft. Pretending to be someone else can help a criminal gather more data on the victim (e.g. by asking for confidential information from financial or medical institutions).