Are fake profiles and Indian IPs common in cold outreach emails?

Summary

Experts, marketers, and email deliverability documentation agree that the use of fake profiles and Indian IPs is a problematic trend in cold outreach. A significant portion of contact information obtained may be fabricated, and the practice of using Indian IPs, often for cost-saving, is common. This lack of transparency undermines sender reputation, triggers spam filters, and negatively impacts deliverability. Establishing genuine connections through personalization and maintaining a consistent IP address aligned with the target audience are crucial for successful and ethical cold outreach. Authenticating domains and verifying sender identity are essential for preventing phishing and improving email deliverability.

Key findings

  • Prevalence of Fake Profiles: A significant number of names in cold outreach lists are likely fake.
  • Common Use of Indian IPs: Using Indian IPs for cold outreach to Western audiences is a common practice, often driven by cost considerations.
  • Negative Impact on Reputation: Fake profiles and mismatched IP locations damage sender reputation, leading to spam filtering.
  • Best Practise: Email security standards outline that a user must verify sender identity and IP addresses

Key considerations

  • Prioritize Authenticity: Ensure the contact information used is as authentic as possible, avoiding generic profiles.
  • Maintain Consistent IP Locations: Use IP addresses that align with your target audience's geographic region to build trust and improve deliverability.
  • Focus on Personalization: Personalize cold emails with specific details to increase engagement and avoid being perceived as spam.
  • Embrace Transparency: Honesty and transparency in outreach campaigns are essential for building trust and improving sender reputation
  • Ensure Email Security Standards: You must verify sender identity and IP addresses to avoid phishing or spam issues.

What email marketers say
8Marketer opinions

The prevalence of fake profiles and Indian IPs in cold outreach emails is a concerning trend. Marketers are observing an increase in the use of fake profiles with generic names and stock photos, coupled with the practice of using Indian IPs to reduce costs, particularly when targeting Western audiences. This lack of transparency and authenticity can severely damage sender reputation, trigger spam filters, and hinder email deliverability. Personalization and genuine connection are key to successful outreach, and deceptive tactics are strongly discouraged.

Key opinions

  • Fake Profiles: There is an increase in the use of obviously fake profiles in cold outreach emails, often with generic names and stock photos.
  • Indian IPs: Using Indian IPs for cold outreach targeting Western audiences is a common practice, primarily driven by cost reduction.
  • Negative Impact: The lack of transparency and authenticity due to fake profiles and unusual IP addresses can negatively impact sender reputation and trigger spam filters.

Key considerations

  • Transparency: Transparency and authenticity are crucial for building trust and avoiding being flagged as spam. Avoid deceptive tactics such as using fake profiles.
  • Personalization: Personalization and genuine connection are essential for successful cold outreach campaigns. Generic or impersonal emails are likely to be ignored or marked as spam.
  • Sender Reputation: Maintaining a positive sender reputation is vital for email deliverability. Practices like using fake profiles and inconsistent IP addresses can harm your reputation.
Marketer view

Email marketer from Marketing Over Coffee shares that a lack of transparency and authenticity is a red flag in cold outreach and using fake profiles is an immediate deterrant.

January 2025 - Marketing Over Coffee
Marketer view

Email marketer from Reddit shares that he's seen an increase in obviously fake profiles used for cold outreach, often with generic names and stock photos.

August 2021 - Reddit
Marketer view

Email marketer from Gmass addresses the impact of sending emails from different IP addresses and from fake profiles and explains that you are likely to cause issues with deliverability and that's likely to flag as spam.

November 2023 - Gmass
Marketer view

Email marketer from Backlinko shares the importance of personalizing cold emails with specific details to increase engagement and avoid being perceived as spam or using templates.

July 2021 - Backlinko
Marketer view

Email marketer from Neil Patel explains that personalized emails are essential to build relationships and avoid being seen as spam. Using generic or fake profiles hurts the brand

July 2023 - Neil Patel
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Marketing Forum responds that using Indian IPs for cold outreach targeting Western audiences is a common, albeit questionable, practice to reduce costs.

June 2022 - Email Marketing Forum
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks shares that his favorite is when the headers show an Indian IP with very American names.

December 2023 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from DigitalMarketer.com advises caution regarding cold emailing tactics, emphasizing the importance of genuine connections and personalized messages to avoid being flagged as spam.

April 2021 - DigitalMarketer.com

What the experts say
3Expert opinions

Experts agree that cold outreach often involves fake profiles and misleading IP addresses. A significant portion of contact names received may be fabricated. Furthermore, using IP addresses from unexpected geographical locations undermines sender reputation, which is critical for email deliverability. Transparency and honesty in cold email campaigns are paramount for building trust and evading spam filters.

Key opinions

  • Prevalence of Fake Profiles: A large percentage of names obtained from cold outreach are likely not real.
  • IP Address Impact: Using IP addresses from unexpected locations negatively affects sender reputation and deliverability.
  • Importance of Transparency: Deceptive tactics such as fake profiles and unusual IP addresses are cautioned against.

Key considerations

  • Authenticity: Ensure the data you are using to send emails is as authentic as possible
  • Consistency: Maintain a consistent IP address strategy to prevent deliverability issues.
  • Ethical Practices: Prioritize honesty and transparency in all cold email communications to build trust.
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks shares that she is pretty sure that 90% of the names she gets from cold outreach are not real.

November 2024 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Spamresource.com explains that maintaining a consistent IP address and sender reputation is essential for deliverability and using IPs from unexpected geographic locations can negatively impact your sender reputation.

April 2022 - Spamresource.com
Expert view

Expert from Wordtothewise.com cautions about using deceptive tactics like fake profiles and unusual IP addresses in cold email campaigns, stressing that honesty and transparency are crucial for building trust and avoiding spam filters.

June 2021 - Wordtothewise.com

What the documentation says
5Technical articles

Email deliverability documentation from various providers (SendGrid, Mailchimp, Google, Microsoft, and Spamhaus) uniformly emphasizes the critical role of IP reputation and sender identity. Using IP addresses inconsistent with the target audience's region or sending from unauthenticated domains can trigger spam filters and negatively impact sender scores. The documentation also discourages using fake sender information, as it violates email security standards and increases the risk of being marked as spam. Verifying sender identity and adhering to best practices for preventing phishing are crucial for maintaining a positive sender reputation and ensuring email deliverability.

Key findings

  • IP Reputation Matters: IP reputation is crucial for email deliverability. A poor IP reputation can lead to emails being marked as spam.
  • Inconsistent IPs Hurt Deliverability: Using IPs from regions different from the target audience can negatively impact sender reputation and trigger spam filters.
  • Fake Sender Information is Discouraged: Using fake sender information or unauthenticated domains violates email security standards and can lead to emails being marked as spam.

Key considerations

  • Maintain Consistent IPs: Ensure that the IP addresses used for sending emails are consistent with the target audience's region.
  • Authenticate Domains: Use authenticated domains to verify sender identity and improve email deliverability.
  • Avoid Suspicious Patterns: Avoid suspicious sending patterns that trigger spam filters, such as sending from inconsistent IP locations or using fake sender information.
Technical article

Documentation from Microsoft Support outlines email security standards, including the importance of verifying sender identity and IP addresses, as well as best practices for preventing phishing and spam.

April 2022 - Microsoft Support
Technical article

Documentation from Spamhaus explains the importance of IP reputation, and using IPs that are not consistently linked to your brand could harm your sender score.

December 2022 - Spamhaus
Technical article

Documentation from Google Support outlines sender guidelines that discourage practices like using fake sender information and sending from unexpected IP addresses, as these can lead to emails being marked as spam.

March 2024 - Google Support
Technical article

Documentation from Mailchimp shares the importance of using authenticated domains and avoiding suspicious sending patterns that trigger spam filters, including inconsistent IP locations.

June 2023 - Mailchimp
Technical article

Documentation from SendGrid explains that IP reputation is crucial for deliverability, and using IPs from regions different from the target audience can negatively impact sender reputation.

February 2022 - SendGrid