tracing location of email address

[gee]

can the location of a sender be traced even if he's using a web-based email? i tried doing so through the IP address ( its [removed by admin] ) but all it told me was the location of the host and not that of the email sender. can this be done at all?

[maxanon]

Unless the person has a dedicated SMTP server all to themself, the mail is normally sent from their ISP. The company would know the originating sender but you would need a warrant.

[Straight_Man]

True, maxanon, but the thread starter can do this:

Given the ISP host, see if theyhave a website, and forward any abusive emails that come from them and which do not have virals in them (becasue virals can spoof sender's address) to the abuse address on the ISP website. Also, if you want to prevent more, forward the whole message in text-only format to your ISP.

Let the ISPs act, that is what they are threre for-- you (gee) usually do not need to get that info directly and can get action by forwarding in plain text form the abusive emails to your ISP and the ISP the email appears to come from. Probably will not be instant, but should work over a weekly to monthly time frame given ISPs' abilities to trace incoming email themselves.

[primesuspect]

Thread moved out of team short-media forum into security forum, and IP address removed for security reasons. :)

[shwaip]

hehe...the ip was just for a mail.yahoo.com server.

[primesuspect]

well still. ;D