PHP - Mask Email Address

functions.php

/** 
 * mask_email_address
 * 
 * Mask an email address from bots
 * 
 * @since 7.3
 * @access public
 * @static
 * @author Kevin Pirnie <[email protected]>
 * @package Kevin's CRM and Support
 * 
 * @param string $_value The email address to mask
 * 
 * @return string The masked email address
 * 
*/
public static function mask_email_address( string $_value ) : string {

    // setup our return string
    $_ret = '';

    // loop over the characters in the passed in value
    for ( $i = 0, $len = strlen( $_value ); $i < $len; $i++ ) {

        // setup a random character
        $j = rand( 0, 1 );

        if ( 0 == $j ) {
        
            $_ret .= '&#' . ord( $_value[ $i ] ) . ';';
        } elseif ( 1 == $j ) {
        
            $_ret .= $_value[ $i ];
        } elseif ( 2 == $j ) {
        
            $_ret .= '%' . zeroise( dechex( ord( $_value[ $i ] ) ), 2 );
        }
    }

    // return our reformatted string
    return str_replace( '@', '&#64;', $_ret );
    
}