How to find originating IP address for a gmail address

Forums › Desktop computing › How to find originating IP address for a gmail address

quickymart

14940 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 13953

ID Verified

#251377 22-Jun-2019 12:20

Sorry I'm a bit rusty on this these days (used to do this all the time but it's been a while) but how do I find the originating (ie, location of an) IP address for a gmail address, sent to Hotmail? I've found the headers in the Hotmail message, but they all point to Google's servers.

(If this is the wrong forum for this post, please feel free to move).

SirHumphreyAppleby

2938 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1860

#2262427 22-Jun-2019 12:28

You can't.

The originating IP may be in the original Received header. In the case of Web-based mail, there may be additional proprietary headers with this information, or nothing at all. The Received headers are added by the receiving server, so the IPs logged can be trusted to be correct as far back as the servers can be trusted. Beyond that, they could be completely fake and cannot be relied on.

quickymart

14940 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 13953

ID Verified

#2262429 22-Jun-2019 12:36

Ah crap that's what I thought. But thanks anyway - would it make any difference if it was gmail to gmail, just out of interest?

SirHumphreyAppleby

2938 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1860

#2262437 22-Jun-2019 13:21

quickymart:

Ah crap that's what I thought. But thanks anyway - would it make any difference if it was gmail to gmail, just out of interest?

Sending from my own GMail account to myself, there is nothing in the headers to give any indication of the submitting IP. I would expect this information is kept hidden from users for privacy reasons. I've seen some Web gateways log this in the past, but I'd doubt if either Google or Microsoft do this. I also sent a message from Outlook.com to GMail, and again, nothing stands out. If the information is there, it's likely encyrpted.

nickb800

2735 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 829

Trusted

#2262439 22-Jun-2019 13:31

This should be posted in the five eyes forum

Linux

12173 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 8469

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#2262440 22-Jun-2019 13:35

Why would you need to know?

mattwnz

20515 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 4795

#2262453 22-Jun-2019 14:08

Linux: Why would you need to know?

It is often good to know if you think an email could be a scam email. You can then at least get some indication to see if the send is in the country they say they are, or that they are in NZ, if it is a NZ person who is supposed to have sent you the email. There are too many scams these day that erode emails usage these days;

AliExpress

Shop now on AliExpress (affiliate link).

quickymart

14940 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 13953

ID Verified

#2262504 22-Jun-2019 15:12

Yep, I'm trying to confirm if the e-mail I received is a scam or not. Hope this helps.

gzt

18679 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 7809

Lifetime subscriber

#2262509 22-Jun-2019 15:41

quickymart: Yep, I'm trying to confirm if the e-mail I received is a scam or not. Hope this helps.

A friend in a random country needs money for a plane ticket?

1101

3141 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1143

#2263232 24-Jun-2019 09:44

gzt:
quickymart: Yep, I'm trying to confirm if the e-mail I received is a scam or not. Hope this helps.

A friend in a random country needs money for a plane ticket?

need to know what country that Nigerian Prince is sending emails from ?

BlueShift

1692 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 969

#2263287 24-Jun-2019 11:38

In a previous role I tracked down someone sending abusive emails to one of our staff. They thought they were being clever using an anonymous online email account, but the originating IP was in the headers, and it belonged to a reasonable sized company. I contacted the company and asked them to request that the person using that IP stop sending abuse. Turns out it was someone who used to work with the recipient and didn't like them much. They didn't like their boss telling them off either...