How to Trace an Email Address

Persons may want to trace an email address for several reasons. For example, a private investigator may need to trace an email address to find out where a person is located or who their service provider is. A server administrator may wish to trace an email address in order to block abusive users or report them to the authorities. Likewise, an individual may want to trace an email address to learn more about a person who has emailed them or prevent harassment.

 

How to Trace an Email Address

One can often find extensive information about a specific person by searching for their email address in a search engine. The search engine provides the user with websites that the person has visited and registered for with that email address, comments they have left on webpages, or groups they belong to. Users also have the ability to find the person’s IP address by inputting their email address in a service known as “WhatIsMyIPAddress,” located at http://whatismyipaddress.com/trace-email. While there are similar services available from other sources, WhatIsMyIPAddress allows users to simply copy and paste the header of an email into the input field in order to locate the person’s IP address.

 

Geobytes’ IP Locator

Now that the user has obtained the person’s IP address, he/she can use that to determine the person’s physical location by using a service known as “Geobytes’ IP Locator.” By simply inputting a person’s IP address, Geobytes’ IP Locator allows users to identify the person’s country, region, city, timezone, population, exact latitude and longitude, and currency. However, many computers are now routed through wireless access points, ISPs, and proxy servers that mask the person’s true location. Unfortunately, Geobytes’ IP Locator is not able to see the true location of the user in this case.

 

How to Block an IP Address

In addition to finding someone’s physical location through his/her IP address, users are also able to block that person from communicating with them or systems they control. For example, a webmaster may wish to block someone from posting to the website’s forum in response to rude or disruptive behavior. This can easily be accomplished by opening the website’s control panel and locating something similar to “User Permissions.” This interface usually allows the administrator to change permissions for a specific IP address.