Tracking an IP address from an email
You can track an email to find an IP address. This will lead you to the owner of the email address. Most harassment and reputation damage is done through anonymous Gmail and ProtonMail email addresses. Gmail doesn’t include the IP address of the sender unless the email is sent through a phone or desktop client. ProtonMail is encrypted, so you won’t be able to track an email through ProtonMail, except through advanced methods which we will explain in this article.
An IP (Internet Protocol) address is a set of rules that governs the format of data sent via a local network or the internet.
Tracking an IP address from an email can be done through several methods. It depends on the email service and how you can obtain the IP address. We will dive into the most popular email providers below.
If the sender hides behind a VPN or proxy, the IP address will give you a false location. Run the IP address through an IP-lookup service to find out if it is a VPN or not.
If tracking an IP address from an email can’t be done by analysing the email header, you can track an email through social engineering or a subpoena. At the bottom of this article, you will find information about your investigative and legal options.
Track Gmail IP address
To track a Gmail IP address, first look at the metadata of the email header. In most cases, you will find Gmail’s IP address, but if the email is sent through a desktop client or mobile, you have a good chance of finding the sender’s IP address.
To track a Gmail IP address, follow the following instructions to find out if the Gmail email you want to track includes the sender’s IP address.
- Click the three dots at the right corner of the email
- Click on “show original”
- Search for the IP addresses listen
- Copy and paste the IP addresses found in Infosniper.net to determine if it is a Google IP address or of the sender.
The IP address will give you an approximate location, such as the country, region, and city of the email sender. It also tells you the Internet Service Provider, which will tell you if the IP address belongs to Google.
Find IP address in Outlook Email
These steps will help you find the Outlook IP address.
- Click on the three dots in the top right corner.
- Click View –> View Message source. This opens the full email header code.
- Search for “Received: from”. The IP address will show in a series of numbers and dots. If there are numerous mentions of “Received: from” showing an IP address, pick the IP address in the last pattern.
Find IP address in Yahoo Mail
These steps will help you find the IP address in Yahoo Mail.
- Click on the cogwheel icon in the right corner.
- Click on “more actions”.
- Click “View Full Headers”.
- Search for “Received: from.” When you see multiple mentions of “Received: from” with an IP address, choose the last IP address. If there are no mentions of Received: from with an IP address, choose the first IP address in “X-Originating-IP”.
Locate IP address through Proton Email
ProtonMail is an encrypted email provider which offers anonymity to its users. If you are harassed through an anonymous ProtonMail email, the email sender is very careful to hide his or her identity. You won’t be able to track the IP address through the email itself.
To locate an IP address through Proton Email, you need advanced cyber investigation tools. We developed our own tools through which our investigators can trace IP addresses from nearly anything: ProtonMail, text messages, and social media messages, and we can defeat VPN.
Track an Email to Identify the Owner
If the email header is not providing the email address, the following methods will help you track an email to identify the owner.
Track an Email through Social Engineering
We have developed a powerful forensic solution that can trace the IP address of any email, even ProtonMail. The only requirement is that the email address needs to be active, and the owner needs to be able to receive emails. Even if the owner hides behind proxies and VPNs, we can still trace the real IP address. Everything we do is completely legal, and admissible in court. Once our investigators tracked an email to an IP address, and they are confronted, they will often stop out of fear of legal action.
However, if you decide to take the bad actor to court, our data and affidavit will allow you to seek injunctive relief through litigation. Our licensed investigators also provide testimony in court if needed.
If you have a suspect, we can rule them in or rule them out. If we capture matching data between the anonymous bad actor and a suspect, you will have the proof you need that it is the same person. We will provide a subpoena to serve to the Internet Service Provider to obtain the customer information if you don’t have a suspect.
Instead of social engineering, you could file a “You vs. John or Jane Doe”, but it is expensive, and the defendant is allowed to respond anonymously claiming free speech protection. Also, email providers like Google can decline arguing jurisdiction, as they are a Californian corporation. Whereas if we capture the IPs in Texas, for example, you immediately have the right jurisdiction and eliminate the discovery delays and resistance and expense in pursuing through Google first. Google will give the user at least 30 days to file a resistance.
Track an Email through a Subpoena
If the email address is deleted or abandoned, you will need to subpoena the email service provider first. After that, you will need to subpoena the Internet Service Provider. For this process, you need a lawyer or the help of law enforcement.
Both the Email Service Provider and Internet Service Provider will try to find any reason to deny the request because of privacy violations, but we know exactly what to ask for and how.
We can prepare a subpoena for your lawyer or local police to submit. This significantly reduces your legal fees and increases the chance of you obtaining the information you are seeking.
Subpoena preparation: USD$1,000.00
