What is an email and how does it work: guide to detecting fraud

This series of articles explains in detail how an email is structured, what elements it comprises, and how to analyze each part to detect fraud, phishing, and social engineering techniques. Each article addresses a specific section, from visible headers to the most common manipulable elements.

Articles in this series

• Article 1: Introduction and overview of the parts of an email.
• Article 2: Main headers: From, To, Subject, Date, Reply-To, Message-ID, and Return-Path.
• Article 3: Authentication headers: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.
• Article 4: Transport routes: Received, Source IP, and technical geolocation.
• Article 5: MIME structure: Content-Type, boundaries, encoding, and internal organization.
• Article 6: Message body: Plain text, HTML, links, embedded images, and attachments.
• Article 7: Manipulator elements: Impersonation, fake links, lookalike domains, and malicious attachments.

Series Objective

• Understand the complete anatomy of an email.
• Learn to identify signs of fraud or impersonation.
• Master the technical analysis of headers and content.
• Recognize common patterns in social engineering attacks.

Closing

This series provides a solid foundation for rigorously analyzing emails and detecting threats even when the message appears legitimate. Each article delves into a key component, allowing you to progress from the visible to the technical. Partes de un correo electrónico: guía completa para detectar estafas

Series Start