Powershell won't use parameter value from a variable - powershell

Question

The following command works perfectly:
Set-Mailbox $mailbox -EmailAddresses SMTP:am#foo.com,asmo#bar.org,toke#foobar.net
Trying to run the same command with the email addresses in a variable crashes.
$SMTPAddresses = "SMTP:am#foo.com,asmo#bar.org,toke#foobar.net”
Set-Mailbox $mailbox -EmailAddresses $SMTPAddress
Error:
Set-Mailbox : Cannot convert 'SMTP:am#foo.com,asmo#bar.org,toke#foobar.net' to the type 'Microsoft.Exchange.Data.ProxyAddressCollection' required by parameter 'EmailAddresses'. The address 'SMTP:am#foo.com,asmo#bar.org,toke#foobar.net' is invalid: The address 'am#klestrup.dk,asmo#bdk.dk,toke#bdk.dk' is not a valid SMTP address.
At line:1 char:39
+ Set-Mailbox $mailbox -EmailAddresses $SMTPAddresses
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo : InvalidArgument: (:) [Set-Mailbox], ParameterBindingException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : CannotConvertArgument,Microsoft.Exchange.Management.RecipientTasks.SetMailbox
The variable is a string btw.
$SMTPAddresses.GetType()
IsPublic IsSerial Name BaseType
-------- -------- ---- --------
True True String System.Object
Any ideas what is causing this?

Answer 1

The error message is rather self-explanatory. am#foo.com,asmo#bar.org,toke#foobar.net is not an e-mail address. Try it like this:
$SMTPAddresses = 'SMTP:am#foo.com','SMTP:asmo#bar.org','SMTP:toke#foobar.net'
Set-Mailbox $mailbox -EmailAddresses $SMTPAddresses

Answer 2

This is an array of two email address strings:
$SMTPAddresses = "SMTP:am#foo.com","asmo#bar.org,toke#foobar.net”
This is one string of two email addresses joined with a comma:
$SMTPAddresses = "SMTP:am#foo.com,asmo#bar.org,toke#foobar.net”

Answer 3

A peculiarity on Office 365 powershell using the xxx-UnifiedGroups command
If you're constructing the command like this:
$emails = #()
$emails += "SMTP:primary.address#domain.com"
$emails += "smtp:email2#domain.com"
# I'm splatting here but you can use whatever approach you prefer
$params = #{}
$params += #{"EmailAddresses" = $emails}
And you're getting this error, try making sure you include a tenant address like so:
$emails = #()
$emails += "SMTP:primary.address#domain.com"
$emails += "smtp:email2#domain.com"
$emails += "smtp:email#YourTenant.onmicrosoft.com"
$params = #{}
$params += #{"EmailAddresses" = $emails}
Note: Originally I got past the error using escaping, but that was a red herring. After getting full end to end working example it turns out you need a "MOERA" address (one that matches your 365 tenant) but the command gives a false error message about not being able to convert to the type 'Microsoft.Exchange.Data.ProxyAddressCollection'.