---
title: Receiving Strange Emails from Yourself? Here’s What You Need to Know
description: Best practices to protect against emails that appear to come from yourself.
image: https://blog.mdaemon.com/hubfs/Receiving-Strange-Emails-from-Yourself-1.png
---
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# MDaemon Technologies Blog
## [Receiving Strange Emails from Yourself? Here’s What You Need to Know](https://blog.mdaemon.com/receiving-strange-emails-from-yourself-heres-what-you-need-to-know)
By [Brad Wyro](https://blog.mdaemon.com/author/brad-wyro)
- [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share)
It’s alarming to discover that someone is sending emails that appear to come from your email address—especially if you didn’t send them. This situation can make you wonder if your email has been hacked. However, not all suspicious activity means you’ve been compromised. In many cases, your email address may simply be **spoofed**, not hacked.
In this post, we’ll explain the difference between **spoofed, hacked, and infected** email accounts, and share **best practices to protect your email** from spoofing and other threats.
---
### ✅ **Spoofed vs. Hacked vs. Infected: What’s the Difference?**
Understanding the difference between these scenarios is key to taking the right action.
#### 💡 **1. Spoofed Email**
- **What it is:** Spoofing is when a scammer forges the "From" field in an email header to make it look like the message came from your address. However, they have no access to your account.
- **Signs of spoofing:**
- You receive bounced messages you didn’t send.
- 📌Tip: [Enable Backscatter Protection](https://help.mdaemon.com/mdaemon/en/security--backscatter_protection.html)[to](https://help.mdaemon.com/mdaemon/en/security--backscatter_protection.html)protect against unexpected auto-responders & bounced messages
- Contacts report receiving strange emails from you.
- You see your own email address in your inbox as the sender.
- **Risk level:** Low to moderate—annoying but not directly dangerous to your email account security.
#### 🔓 **2. Hacked Email**
- **What it is:** A hacked account means someone has gained unauthorized access to your email. They may send messages, access sensitive information, or change settings.
- **Signs of hacking:**
- You are locked out of your account.
- You receive password reset emails you didn’t request.
- Your Sent folder contains unknown or suspicious messages.
- **Risk level:** High—immediate action is required to secure your account.
- 📌Tip: Use [Dynamic Screening](https://help.mdaemon.com/mdaemon/en/dynamic-screening_options.html)to block suspicious hacking & password guessing activities, and [Account Hijack Detection](https://knowledge.mdaemon.com/migration/how-to-enable-hijack-detection)to prevent compromised email accounts from sending spam.
#### 🦠 **3. Infected Device**
- **What it is:** If your computer or device is infected with malware, it can send spam or spoofed emails from your address. This can happen without compromising your actual email account.
- **Signs of infection:**
- Slow performance or unusual crashes.
- Pop-ups and strange ads appear frequently.
- Your antivirus or security software flags malware.
- **Risk level:** High—your device and sensitive data could be compromised.
---
### 🔐 **Best Practices to Protect Your Email Address from Spoofing**
Although you can’t prevent all spoofing attempts, you can **reduce their effectiveness** and protect your email from being easily exploited.
#### ✅ **1. Enable SPF, DKIM, and DMARC Authentication**
These three protocols help verify that emails from your domain are legitimate:
- **SPF (Sender Policy Framework)**: Prevents spammers from sending emails on behalf of your domain by specifying which servers are authorized.
- 📌 [Click here](https://knowledge.mdaemon.com/migration/spf-verification-record-creation) to learn how to enable SPF verification in MDaemon and configure an SPF record.
- **DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail)**: Adds a digital signature to your emails to confirm they came from your domain.
- 📌 How to enable [DKIM signing in MDaemon & configure DKIM records](https://knowledge.mdaemon.com/migration/configure-dkim-signing).
- **DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance)**: Combines SPF and DKIM to instruct mail servers on how to handle unauthenticated messages.
- 📌 [How to enable DMARC and configure DMARC records](https://knowledge.mdaemon.com/migration/how-to-enable-dmarc-and-configure-records).
- 📌[DMARC Deployment Best Practices](https://blog.mdaemon.com/gmail-enforcing-stricter-authentication-policies)
#### 🔒 **2. Use Strong, Unique Passwords and Enable Two-factor Authentication (2FA)**
Even if spoofing isn’t hacking, securing your email is still critical:
- Use **complex, unique passwords** for your email ([Learn more here](https://blog.mdaemon.com/9-tips-for-stronger-passwords))
- Enable **two-factor authentication (2FA)** for an extra layer of protection.
- Use **app passwords** to protect against hackers & brute force attacks
#### 🛡️ **3. Monitor Your Email Reputation**
Use tools like:
- Use [**MXToolbox**](https://mxtoolbox.com/) to monitor your domain reputation.
- Check blocklists to ensure your domain hasn’t been flagged.
#### 🚫 **4. Educate Yourself and Your Contacts**
Spoofed emails often contain phishing links or attachments. Educate your contacts on **how to recognize and report** suspicious emails.
- To learn more, read [our 10 Tips to Identify a Phishing Email](https://blog.mdaemon.com/10-tips-to-identify-a-phishing-email)
---
### 🛑 **What to Do If Your Email Is Spoofed**
If you suspect your email address is being spoofed:
1. **Don’t panic**—your account likely hasn’t been hacked.
2. **Verify your SPF, DKIM, and DMARC settings**.
3. **Warn your contacts** that spoofed emails are being sent using your address.
4. **Mark spoofed emails as spam** to help your provider identify and filter them.
---
### 💡 **Key Takeaway**
If someone is spoofing your email address, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve been hacked. Spoofing is a form of deception that doesn’t require access to your account. By understanding the difference between spoofed, hacked, and infected emails, and by applying best practices like SPF/DKIM/DMARC authentication and strong security measures, you can better protect your email identity and reduce the risk of falling victim to fraud.
🚀 **Stay vigilant, and keep your inbox safe!**
Tags: [Email Security](https://blog.mdaemon.com/topic/email-security), [Anti-Spoofing](https://blog.mdaemon.com/topic/anti-spoofing), [Email Spoofing](https://blog.mdaemon.com/topic/email-spoofing), [Email Security Best Practices](https://blog.mdaemon.com/topic/email-security-best-practices), [Email Best Practices](https://blog.mdaemon.com/topic/email-best-practices)
#### Written by [Brad Wyro](https://blog.mdaemon.com/author/brad-wyro)
Brad has worked in technical and marketing roles at MDaemon Technologies, where he contributes as Content Marketing Manager. Brad balances technical and creative information to develop easy to understand videos and content to educate prospects and customers.
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#### About MDaemon Technologies
MDaemon Technologies is a pioneer in developing email and email security software helping to protect customers from evolving cyber-security threats. Its products and services are trusted by thousands of organizations in over 140 countries. For more than two decades, the company’s products have been developed with the ongoing input of IT professionals who demand reliable, affordable software that requires minimal effort to manage.
The software can be deployed in virtual, hosted cloud, on-premises, or hybrid network environments. The company sells its software and services directly and through a network of global channel partners.
For more information, visit [www.mdaemon.com](https://www.altn.com/).
Copyright © 1996-2026 MDaemon Technologies. View [privacy policy](https://mdaemon.com/policies/privacy-policy).
###### Contact Us
+1.817-601-3222
[sales@help.mdaemon.com](mailto:sales@help.mdaemon.com)
6340 Lake Worth Blvd.
Fort Worth, TX 76135
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