| Few people like receiving strange emails from | | | | see them. Once you've found the headers, look for |
| unknown sources. Whether it's annoying spam, silly | | | | the words "Received: from". This line is added to the |
| pranks, or something more sinister, it's no wonder | | | | headers every time the email changes hands. If the |
| that so many people today want to learn more | | | | message hasn't been tampered with, then the IP |
| about strange email messages. There are many | | | | address of the originating computer will be to the |
| courses you can take to do this, including reverse | | | | right of the last time "Received: from" appears in the |
| email lookups and IP address searches. But before | | | | headers. You can use this IP address to trace the |
| you can use an IP address search, you have to | | | | computer that first sent the message. |
| locate the IP address of the computer that sent you | | | | Of course searching IP addresses isn't the only way |
| the message. | | | | to find information about mysterious email messages; |
| The best way to do that, and to get started in your | | | | you can also use a reverse email lookup. Reverse |
| reverse email lookup, is to examine the email headers. | | | | email lookups work by searching vast numbers of |
| Email headers work like digital envelopes, providing | | | | records for information about the owner of almost |
| information about where a letter comes from and | | | | any email address. This means you can find the name |
| where it's going. Every email message has headers, | | | | of almost any email account user in just a few |
| but most email clients hide headers from view. Each | | | | minutes, without the hassle and fuss of deciphering |
| email client has a different procedure to view | | | | email headers. |
| headers, but most have some option to allow you to | | | | |