Can You Find Out Who Sent a Spam Email?
By the Spamtrace team. . 2 minute read.
Usually you can find the network that sent a spam email, but not the name of the person behind it. The hidden email headers show the IP address of the sending server, and public registries show which company runs it. That company's abuse team can act on a report.
Why is the name on a spam email usually fake?
The name and address in the From line are written by the sender, so they can say anything. An email can claim to be from your bank and have nothing to do with it. Even the security checks shown in some email programs only show that a domain approved the message, and spammers often own their domains.
What are email headers?
Every email carries a hidden record called its headers. As the email passes from server to server, each one adds a line called Received, saying where the email came from and when.
Spammers can add false lines to this record before they send the email. But once it reaches your email company, the lines your company adds are reliable. So you read from the top down, starting with your own company's lines, until you reach the server that handed over the message. That server's IP address is the source.
What can you find out from a spam email?
- The IP address of the server that sent the email
- The company that runs that network, from the public internet registries
- That company's abuse contact, where complaints go
- Which companies host any websites the email links to
What can't you find out from a spam email?
- The spammer's name or home address. Only the network company, or the police with a legal order, can connect an account to a person.
- The real sender, if the email was sent through a hacked account or a large email service. Then the source is that account or service, and it is the one that can stop it.
What is the easiest way to trace a spam email?
You do not need to read headers yourself. Paste the email into Spamtrace and we explain, in plain words, where it came from and who to tell. See how it works.