IP addresses

[compaq]

Have been checking some header info. (thanks to your excellent thread elsewhere), but it still leaves me not much wiser.

OK so someone using a gmail address tells you that the IP used was in the states. How does that help me, since I am not based in the states, used the Gmail address of myself and ended up with the same location. Hmmm.

Also, since emails can be bounced through a number of servers how can you detect whichone is the originating one??

Sorry, it's all new to me and am trying to work it all out. I have been contacted by scammers and so far I have told them whare to get off, but I want to be able to sort the real from the fakes.

Any assistace very welcome.

Cheers

[Miyuki]

Gmail is usually hard to pull out an IP. Not always but usually. That's just a feature of gmail.

There are some advanced tools at http://centralops.net/co/ or http://www.nextwebsecurity.com/LocationTools.asp

When in doubt, if the mail doesn't say X-originating IP the lowest IP address in a header is probably the one that was the original.

[De Master Yoda]

OK so someone using a gmail address tells you that the IP used was in the states. How does that help me, since I am not based in the states,

Good question. One of the main advantages is that you can see where a scammer is sending the email from.
For example, if a romance scammer is claiming to be in the USA but his IP shows him sending from Lagos, then it is fairly easy to see that he is lying to you and is a scammer not a real dater.

This is only one example so you can see how the IP can be helpful

[compaq]

Good question. One of the main advantages is that you can see where a scammer is sending the email from.
For example, if a romance scammer is claiming to be in the USA but his IP shows him sending from Lagos, then it is fairly easy to see that he is lying to you and is a scammer not a real dater.

This is only one example so you can see how the IP can be helpful

Yoda, OK I understand it can help sometimes, but, my point was, when I did a trace on my Gmail address it came out as being in the states. I am based elsewhere, so anyone getting my address could only think I am US based, which I am not.

I am currently checking out some suspected scammer who is using Gmail, but it doesn't really tell me much. Since Google's server is US based and thats what come up.

Unless I am not following. Notwithstanding that, I have learnt a lot on this tracking stuff, thanks very much to this site and I will be checking more now I have discovered my new found skill!!!!

[Ben]

Often you will get scammer headers which are spoofed ,meaning the scammer is using a 'sock proxy' to hide his IP search on the web.
These can be seen in any free email header like hotmail yahoo etc.. so reading IP numbers when a proxy is used in any free emailer will give a false impression of where the scammer is.

How to recognise a spoofed header from a free email is a area that comes with studying spoofed and real and then comparing the two. It is best done by looking at the full header and you can google > forged header / sock proxy / spoofed header < for help.
Gmail on the other hand will hide IP without the sender using a proxy: a note about Gmails paid account . If you have a paid account with Gmail it will reveal more info about where other Gmail emails originate from, but when your average scammer uses the free version of Gmail you will in nine times out of ten draw a blank to his real IP (computer location) which is one of the reasons it is favoured by scammers and baiters alike.

[compaq]

Thanks for the info. I will keep plugging away.

[snoman_03]

Correct me if i`m wrong but usually Gmail headers will not give the sender`s location.
The location displayed when you search Gmail headers is that of Gmail itself in the U.S.

[Ben]

Gmail; Gmail uses many innovative spam filtering mechanisms to ensure that spammers have a difficult time sending bulk emails that arrive in users inboxes. .... hence for senders using Gmail the personal IP is not visible to the recipient. Only Gmail server IP is in the sent header which is NOT the senders IP .

However, I have heard that holders of PREMIUM GMAIL ACCOUNTs can see IP from other non premium account users using Gmail , how true this is I cannot be sure.

[Ben]

I don't know how true this (http://aruljohn.com/info/howtofindipaddress/#gmail) is either.

[snoman_03]

I don't know how true this (http://aruljohn.com/info/howtofindipaddress/#gmail) is either.

Not sure of that...however there are services such as "read notify" that can be used when sending someone a mail that will reveal gmail sender location when message opened.