Tracking email

[Merlyn27]

This is somewhat related to VB since I want to do this in a program. Maybe someone could point me in the right direction. The general purpose would be to trace a email back to the individual machine/server it came from. Given the IP address shown in the message header would it be possible to determine if that IP is a proxy or not? And if it is then how to backtrack though the proxy to the IP the proxy was sending the info back to?

Appreciate any help.
James

[atimo]

I am also looking for the answer to your question. As you have posted long time ago, I would like to know if you found the solution and if you can share with me.

[Matt_T_hat]

email tracing is natoriousely hit and miss.

You can reverseDNS the IP address and also whois and perhaps even traceroute to it... if you ahve the time, know how and programs mentioned (I understand a WhoIs can be done via script)

but if the email sender lied, falsified his MIME, bounced it of someone elses surver or did one of a dozzen non standard things with it then you got cat in hells chance of working it out.

I'd just look at the domain and see if you can learn anything about the user that way.

It's be fater to ask a midly technical user for the information than to work it out nine times out of ten.

That is why spam is an issue.

That's not to sya it can't be done and you might even find out a few things I don't know trying... but don't hold your breath as blue don't suit you.

[dglienna]

the gov't says that they can do this, but if they could, would spam really be that much of an issue? i don't think so. those that don't want to be tracked, aren't. simple as that.

[Disiance]

yes, the method spammers use is find an open SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) server and route the spam messages through that...makes me mad (the keep scanning my server) because it really eats up processing power, and clogs up my mail server.