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I need to track an anonymous email. We have the ip address, it matches a wireless network but how do we track the specific computer that sent it? How do the authorities do it and how specific can the information be? Serial number? Owner?
Hi, my name is XXXX XXX I look forward to helping you today. I know first hand how frustrating these issues can be. Thanks for the chance to assist.
Do you manage the wireless network from which this email was sent?
Chat seems to be flaky at the moment.
Would you please give me the IP address?
I'll see what I can dig up on it.
Sorry for the slow response. This chat system keeps locking up on me.
Without the IP address, there's little I can do for you. I'm sorry.
The short answer is that it's very difficult to trace yourself.
An IP address will be registered to a network provider and any tracking would have to be done by that provider to find out which one of their customers
was using the IP address at the time the email was sent.
But then there are all of the issues of IP addresses being faked, forged, etc.
Thus it doesn't really mean much even if you do get the cooperation of the network provider.
Unless this email contains something very serious, you're probably better off just deleting the email and enjoying the rest of your day.
If it does contain something serious, then call your local authorities.
That's what I would do.
Again, it's up to the network owner of the IP address. For example, let's say the IP address belongs to AT & T.
Every time an AT&T customer signs on to his computer, AT&T assigns that computer an IP address from its address pool for that specific session.
When the customer is finished and shuts down, the IP address goes back into AT&T's address pool and is free for use by the next customer.
Thus you would have to get AT&T to tell you which one of their customers was using the IP address at the time the email was sent.
Make sense?
It would be up to you to file an abuse complaint with the ISP that owns the IP address.
But there's nothing you can do to force them to look into it.
And they usually don't. :)
This is why what you're asking for is not really realistic.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.
The professional could do nothing more than request that the IP address owner give them information.
No one outside of the ISP would have access to the ISP logs to know which of their customers was using the IP address.
All you can know from the header is the IP. Then doing a whois lookup, you can see who owns the IP.
Then you can contact that ISP and ask. That's it.
I don't think you understand. You can only get whatever information the ISP would give you.
Which would likely be nothing without a subpeona
since that is their private customer information.
This is why I suggest you either go to the authorities or enjoy your day. :)
What is your goal?
If you think an ISP is going to give you a customer name, address, etc. without a subpoena, I think you're going to be disappointed.
Sounds like someone forged an IP address you were using.
Whoever it is that thinks you've sent the email needs to understand that just because it may have looked like it came from you, there's no proof that it did.
Because of forgeries, I even get spam that appears to come from myself.
Sorry, I can't help you beyond what I have. I do not believe you will get any different results from anyone else but I will put your question back in the general queue nonetheless.
Enjoy the rest of your day/evening.
Best of luck.
Experience: Using 30+ years of experience to help you get it working.
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