This might be useful
https://toolbox.googleapps.com/apps/messageheader/

In reply to a post by TLM:

It looks like it's failing because the receiving domain doesn't recognize the recipient's email address.

Then the mailbox you are trying to reach either doesn't exist (person has left organisation) or there is a different spelling.

@TLM,

I used to work for a company that had a blanket ban on all emails from AOL.com, outlook.com, hotmail.com, googlemail.com and gmail.com. As well as others. Individual employees had to ask Tech Support to allow individual email addresses to be whitelisted. Maybe you need to contact the government agency via phone to ask them to whitelist your email address??

Just my 2 cents worth...spend it wisely!

Cya,

In reply to a post by mking90031:

I used to work for a company that had a blanket ban on all emails from AOL.com, outlook.com, hotmail.com, googlemail.com and gmail.com.

I've seen similar, one of our clients had this sort of setup. In security circles there is a belief that "free web email" providers are a source of malware. It isn't true as the free providers go a lot further than many ISP provided POP/SMTP accounts.

In reply to a post by jchamier:

I've seen similar, one of our clients had this sort of setup.

That reminded me of something- some years ago I came across an organisation (can't remember who) that wouldn't accept unsolicited emails from anybody unless you first registered an "account" on their website which would then send a confirmation email that you had to respond to before they'd accept emails from you.

Seemed a bit OTT to me, but I suppose it made a reasonable spam-blocker. The rejection message was a bit more informative than the one TLM is getting too iirc!

or spammers will target insecure websites, and the said domain then sends out several million spam emails.

The days of free email providers being the home of spam sending has long gone

Some vendors can be really strict these days, outlook e.g. is especially strict. I dont know what vendor the government uses.

Usually one wouldnt expect gmail to be blocked as they are such a big player, but recently when I was in contact with CityFibre, their generic email address was blocking emails from gmail, but I was able to email staff directly fine so ended up having to do that. Thats the first occasion I have seen Gmail outright blocked, greylisting is better practice but its becoming more and more of a thing to just not deliver at all, not even to a spam box.

Also bear in mind its also not uncommon for organisations to close email inboxes, if staff member leaves or just to change it to something else (perhaps it became too publically known or something).

Edited by Chrysalis (Sun 12-May-24 10:44:04)

In reply to a post by Chrysalis:

I dont know what vendor the government uses.

Not a single one; different depts/agencies have their own IT strategies. Similar to NHS where each trust can do its own thing.

In reply to a post by mking90031:

Maybe you need to contact the government agency via phone to ask them to whitelist your email address??

Indeed, but it is absolutely unacceptable for a government department to block emails based on sending domain.

In reply to a post by jchamier:

Then the mailbox you are trying to reach either doesn't exist (person has left organisation) or there is a different spelling.

Seems like it. There was no value in the OP putting their ISP's IP address into blacklist checkers, since only the IP address of the SMTP server matters.