How can an old cached website still send mail

What a great question!

It's indeed surprising that an old cached website can still send mail, considering that the website itself is no longer active or updated. Here are some possible explanations:

  1. Email addresses are not tied to the website's existence: Email addresses are stored on email servers, not on websites. As long as the email address is valid and the email server is still active, the website's status doesn't affect the email's deliverability.
  2. Cached websites can still contain functional code: Although the website may be cached, it's possible that some parts of the code, such as the email sending functionality, are still functional and can be executed. This could be due to the caching mechanism preserving the code or because the website's developers didn't remove the email sending functionality when they shut down the site.
  3. Email sending can be done through third-party services: Some websites might have used third-party services like Mailchimp, Sendinblue, or Amazon SES to send emails. Even if the website is no longer active, these services can still be used to send emails, as long as the email addresses and credentials are valid.
  4. Emails can be sent through a backup or archived version: In some cases, a backup or archived version of the website might still be available, which could include functional email sending code. This could be due to the website's developers keeping a backup or because the website was archived by a third-party service.
  5. Spam or phishing attempts: Unfortunately, it's also possible that an old cached website is being used for malicious purposes, such as sending spam or phishing emails. In this case, the website's email sending functionality is likely being exploited by an attacker.

To summarize, an old cached website can still send mail if:

It's worth noting that if you're receiving emails from an old cached website, it's likely that the emails are being sent by a third-party service or an attacker, rather than the website itself.