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"We can't verify that this email came from the sender": what it means

Outlook shows this warning, often with a question mark in place of the sender's photo, when the message failed the checks that prove who sent it. It does not always mean the email is fake. But it is a reason to slow down.

Updated October 17, 2026 · 2 min read

Quick answer

The email failed Outlook's sender authentication checks (SPF, DKIM or DMARC), so Outlook cannot confirm it really came from the address shown. If you received it: do not click links or open attachments until you confirm with the sender another way. If people see it on your emails: publish correct SPF, DKIM and DMARC records for your domain.

Free tool: test your domain's records with the MX, SPF, DKIM and DMARC checker.

What Outlook is telling you

Every email claims to be from someone, and that claim is easy to fake. Domains publish records (SPF, DKIM and DMARC) that let receivers check the claim. When the checks fail, Outlook marks the sender as unverified. A "via" label means the address that actually sent the message is different from the one in the From line.

Microsoft notes that not every message that fails is malicious: small businesses and newsletters often have records set up wrongly.

If you received the email

  1. Do not click links, open attachments or reply with information.
  2. Check with the sender another way: call a number you already have, or start a new email to their known address.
  3. Be extra careful if a sender you normally trust suddenly shows the warning. That pattern fits a spoofed message.
  4. If it is fake, use Report › Report phishing in Outlook.

Adding the sender to Safe Senders hides some warnings, but it does not prove the message is real.

If your own emails show this warning

  1. SPF: publish one SPF record that lists every service that sends mail for your domain (your email provider, website, invoicing tool, newsletter service).
  2. DKIM: turn on DKIM signing in each sending service and publish its key.
  3. DMARC: add a DMARC record, starting with v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:you@yourdomain.
  4. Alignment: make sure SPF or DKIM passes for the same domain as your visible From address. A service that sends "on behalf of" your domain without its own DKIM for your domain is a common cause.

Check your records in seconds with the free DMARC, SPF and DKIM checker, and see the email deliverability checklist.

Questions people ask

Does this warning mean the email is a scam?
Not always. It means Outlook could not confirm the sender. Many genuine emails from badly configured domains trigger it, but so do phishing emails, so verify before acting.
Why does Outlook show a question mark instead of a picture?
The question mark is Outlook's sign that the sender could not be verified with email authentication checks.
How long until the warning stops after I fix my records?
DNS changes usually take effect within minutes to a few hours. New emails after that should pass, as long as every sending service is covered.

Sending one email to a whole list? Check the addresses first with Veml, which removes bad and risky emails before you hit send. (Veml and EmailNa have the same owner.)

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