Outbound impersonation

Someone other than the account holder sends messages out of the account holder's own communication channel — iMessage, email, social-media DM — making the recipient believe the account holder sent them. Distinct from phantom account (which uses the holder's number on a third-party service) — this is the holder's own account, used against the holder.

Also known as: account compromise (outbound), speaking-as, channel takeover, identity hijack, linked-device exploitation
The formal term: Unauthorized outbound communication originating from a compromised authentic account; impersonation via genuine credential.
Overlay / cover: ordinary pocket-sends; accidental autocomplete; tap-by-mistake on a child's, partner's, or roommate's shared device; forgotten old device still signed in.

Tactic entry to be written. Sections to fill in: definition + mechanism (how a third party gains the ability to send out of the holder's channel — Apple ID compromise, lingering linked device, forgotten paired sign-in, SIM-relay), what it produces (recipient-side belief the holder said it; a record in someone else's possession that the holder said it; potentially a manufactured "evidence" trail), the deniable overlays (pocket-send / accidental tap / shared device), and defensive posture (audit linked devices in Apple ID, sign out unknown devices, rotate Apple ID password, check for unfamiliar 2FA devices, review recent iMessage device list).

Where this appeared in the storm

Not Me — a single 'E' sent out of my iMessage to an unknown number (2026-05-21)