You are signed in. Close

You are signed out. Close

Thank you. Your subscription has started. Close

Thank you. You will get an email when a new comic comes out. Close

We could not confirm your payment. If you paid, use the link "Sign in" at the bottom of the page. Close

Something went wrong on our side. Please try again in a moment. Close

Project Visually
Random Sign in Subscribe

How email works: why a fake email from your boss can reach your inbox

The From line of an email is typed by whoever sends it, the way anyone can sign a letter with any name. So a stranger can send you an email that says it comes from your boss, and in 2024 such fake bosses and suppliers cost people about $2.8 billion, by the FBI's count. Follow one of those emails from a scammer's laptop to your phone, and meet the real pieces of email on its way: mail servers and SMTP, MX records, SPF, DKIM and DMARC, display names, spam filters, and the reason some spam still gets through.