How to Trace Emails Back to Their Source IP Address
Emails are a crucial part of modern communication. They are used for official communication, marketing purposes, and personal communication. But sometimes, the content of the email can be suspicious or phishing, which may require the email’s source IP address to be traced back. This task might seem complicated, but it can be achieved with some technical knowledge and the right tools.
What is an IP Address?
An IP address (Internet Protocol address) is an address assigned to a device connected to the internet. This address is unique and consists of four sets of numbers separated by dots. Every device connected to the internet must have an IP address to communicate with others. The IP address is like a home address where the device is located.
How to Trace Emails Back to Their Source IP Address?
Tracing emails back to their source IP address involves identifying the IP address of the sender’s device. Here are the steps to trace an email’s IP address:
Step 1: Open the email
Open the email you want to trace, and select the Email Header option. The email header contains information regarding the sender, receiver, subject, date and time, and other technical details.
Step 2: Identify the IP Address
Look for the “Received: from” tag in the email header. This tag is typically located towards the bottom of the email header. The IP address or hostname represented in this tag is usually the IP address of the sender’s device.
Step 3: Trace the IP Address
Now that you have identified the IP address, use an IP Trace tool to find the location of the sender. There are multiple IP Trace tools available on the internet that provide information related to the IP address location, ISP (Internet Service Provider), and other details.
Some popular IP Trace tools include GeoIP, IP2Location, etc. These tools provide accurate information about the location of an IP address, and you can use this information to identify the sender’s location.