Disable Gmail account from sending emails

[Sigma721]

Hi everyone

I have a strange request.
I need to create a Gmail account that can receive emails, but not send.
The person will have access to gmail via a browser, so playing around with the outgoing smtp is not an option.

Any ideas?

 

[LazyLion]

I don't think that is possible. At least, you may be able to do it, but they will just be able to undo it.

 

[Flowerhat]

set up fetchmail server with its own internal pw system. different pw that goes to end user (prevent accessing gmail directly).

Modify smtp ports in server so send wil fail.

all i can think of atm

 

[HavocXphere]

Not happening. Once you're in the web interface its out of your control.

SMTP tricks would be the only way to go.

 

[Aquadyne]

Your problem / challenge here is the browser interface / usage.

Disable webmail on the router config,
Use Outlook to access Gmail.
Update the hosts file to include the following
127.0.0.1 smtp.gmail.com

Then it might work...

 

[D1RTY D4WG]

Can it not just be forwarded to another address

 

[Pada]

You're looking for trouble with a Gmail address.

If the user know what he/she is doing, they'll just use another Gmail account to send Emails out on behalf of the one where you don't want to send out Emails from!
No matter how badly you're going to lock down that Gmail account, there will always be a way to send out Emails on that account's behalf!

You may be able to do something by creating a 2nd Gmail account, which then just gets all the Emails forwarded from the primary Gmail account. Just make sure that the Emails aren't forwarded which would allow the user to send out Emails from the 2nd account on behalf of the primary account!

 

[Zarathustra]

I would:

- Enable POP on the GMail account
- Setup the account on a workstation using Thunderbird, Outlook, Outlook Express or whatever your mail client of choice is
- When setting up the client, don't enable any SMTP settings or just use a server address which you know doesn't exist. Alternatively, enable only POP3 in the mail client & disable send.

 

[Pada]

I would:

- Enable POP on the GMail account
- Setup the account on a workstation using Thunderbird, Outlook, Outlook Express or whatever your mail client of choice is
- When setting up the client, don't enable any SMTP settings or just use a server address which you know doesn't exist. Alternatively, enable only POP3 in the mail client & disable send.

And what would prevent the user from using those credentials on the Gmail web interface or at home?

 

[Zarathustra]

@Pada, once setup by the administrator, the user wouldn't need access to the username or password.

Yes, I suppose a tech-savy user could obtain the password by using a revealer utility, but in the case of Outlook, the account information where the password is stored can be locked down using a workstation policy.

 

[ABU]

If the person would be using the browser on a specific computer that you have access to, a possible option would be to use AdBlock to hide the Compose and Send buttons.
Of course if the person is even slightly tech-savvy, he/she would be able to get around this by disabling Adblock.

 

[Pada]

Zarathustra:
Do yourself a favour and check out Gmail's option where you can send Emails on behalf of another account. To do that, an Email is sent to the primary account, upon which you'll be provided with a link or unique code that you have to follow to allow the secondary account to send Emails on behalf of the first one.

So if this user is bright, he/she will just use another Gmail account and add this locked down one to it. So if you can prevent that account verification Email from appearing in the primary account, I think you should have a pretty solid setup.