How to check whether an email is official?
An email can look like a real invoice, support message or follow-up. Before you reply, click or pay, check whether the address is really attached to the identity it claims to represent.
In 30 seconds
- Do not rely only on the displayed name: it can be imitated.
- Check the domain, context, links and consistency of the message.
- An official address should be attachable to an identity or an organization.
- A Kicklinks proof can show that an address is controlled and viewable with a status.
The risk
Fake emails exploit urgency: invoice to pay, technical support, bank details changed, supplier reminder, partnership or fake internal message. The issue is not only the message, but the lack of a verifiable reference point to confirm the address.
Signals to check
- Domain very close to the real name, but slightly different.
- Urgent tone, payment pressure or threat of account blocking.
- Link that does not lead to the expected domain.
- Attachment or PDF without clear context.
- Unknown address for a sensitive topic: invoice, access, support, contract.
What a real proof should show
To reduce doubt, the address must be readable in a verifiable context, with a status and an attached identity.
The email address concerned.
The identity or organization claiming it.
The current proof status.
A history or control date.
A certificate PDF if the proof is certified.
Concrete scenario
You receive an invoice from an address that looks official. The name is right, the logo is present, but the domain looks unusual.
With a Kicklinks page, you can check whether the address is attached to the expected identity before you reply, pay or forward the message.
What Kicklinks adds
Kicklinks does not read your emails and does not guarantee that a message is honest. Kicklinks lets you publish proof of control for an address and attach it to a verifiable identity.
- A public reference point for the official address.
- A page that a customer, partner or support team can view.
- A status that can change if the proof is no longer maintained.
Good reflex
For payments, contracts or changes of contact details, do not decide from the mailbox alone. Check the address from an independent source and, when possible, a public proof.
Frequently asked questions
Does a certified Kicklinks email prove that every message from that address is safe?
No. The proof indicates that an address is attached to an identity at a given moment. The content of a message must always be read carefully.
Why is the displayed name in a mailbox not enough?
Because it can be changed freely. The domain, the context and an independent proof are more useful than the displayed name.
What should I do if an address is not verifiable?
Ask for confirmation through an official channel you already know, or ask the sender to provide verifiable proof.
Also read
Make your official email verifiable
Publish a clear proof so your customers and partners know which address is publicly linked to your identity.
