I found - this message was automatically generated by gmail in the sent folder, what should I do?

3.2K    Asked by AnilJha in Cyber Security , Asked on Sep 23, 2022

I just noticed a strange email in my sent folder that I did not send. Here is the header information:


To: 5f3d36eb61801dda4063@cloudmailin.net

From: ********@gmail.com

Date: Mon, 10 Jun 2019 06:54:17 -0700

Message-ID:

Subject: bW9KRGdIeTlyMFd2UjZQQVYrQUd0TVJ5N2IrbDlqVXh2NlF6ZUFvaDlaanpRQWwzVmZtVFlwQVo5cXUybmRFbC0ta0VvVDdmakJzVzQzL3lQM2lYL0tBQT09--19cd1b1aa0f32659eece53630df822281b44c804

MIME-Version: 1.0

Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8

Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

Content-Disposition: inline

This message was automatically generated by Gmail.

There was no content in the email, just the jumble of characters in the subject. The email address this was sent to is reported a few times on the internet as possible phishing, but it's not clear to me why Gmail would automatically generate an email on my behalf to this address. The "From" field was indeed my actual email address.


I have already changed my password as a precaution, but I am curious is this anything to worry further about?


Answered by Alexander Coxon

The message line that was automatically sent says "This message was automatically generated by Gmail". It means that you marked a previously received message as spam, so it automatically sends a notification to Google in order to block further reception or messages from the same sender. Nothing to really worry about




Your Answer

Answer (1)

If you found a message in your Gmail "Sent" folder that was automatically generated by Gmail, it's important to understand what kind of message it is and why it was generated. Here are some steps you can take:


Review the Message Content: Open the email and read through it to understand what the message says. Gmail might generate automatic messages for various reasons, such as delivery status notifications, vacation responses, or alerts about suspicious activity.

Check Email Headers: Look at the email headers to see where the email originated from and to confirm that it was indeed generated by Gmail. You can do this by clicking on the three vertical dots (More options) in the upper right corner of the email and selecting "Show original."

Verify Recent Activity: Go through your recent email activity to see if there was any action you took that might have triggered the automated message. For example, setting up a vacation responder or a filter that sends automated replies.

Security Check: Ensure your account is secure. Check for any unauthorized access by visiting your Google Account's "Security" section (https://myaccount.google.com/security-checkup). Look for any unfamiliar devices or activity.

Gmail Settings: Review your Gmail settings, especially under "Filters and Blocked Addresses" and "Vacation responder" settings. There might be rules or automatic replies set up that you forgot about.

Search for Information: If the email's purpose is unclear, search for specific phrases from the email message in Google's help documentation or forums. Other users may have encountered the same situation and could provide insight.

Contact Support: If you cannot determine why the message was generated and are concerned about it, contact Google Support for further assistance.

Taking these steps should help you understand why the message was generated and what, if anything, you need to do about it.

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