IP Address of Sender - Email

[Ecstatic Events]

Hi All,

I'm hoping one of you (clever so and so's) may know how to find the IP address of an email sender for emails sent via Webmail accounts eg. Will the senders IP be in the message header???

I'm convinced a local operator is sending me fake enquiries, I've had 3 over the past few weeks and I just want to see if I can find out if they are coming from the same place. If they are, and someone can explain how I find the IP address, I will send a polite email asking them to refrain ;)

Thanks in advance :)

[Jiggles]

What kind of email client do you use?

[Ecstatic Events]

Web based mainly, but I have configured outlook.

[mattydinx]

Information like that can be found in the header of the emails however if they've sent their enquiries via a web-based mail provider (Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo, etc) their own IP address may not be included since the mail will be coming straight from their respective mail server.

Also, Chances are your suspect sender won't have a static IP address if he's operating from home. If they drop connection or restart their router they'll be given a different IP, unless the enquiries were sent while the connection had been active for some time.

[Ecstatic Events]

Information like that can be found in the header of the emails however if they've sent their enquiries via a web-based mail provider (Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo, etc) their own IP address may not be included since the mail will be coming straight from their respective mail server.

Also, Chances are your suspect sender won't have a static IP address if he's operating from home. If they drop connection or restart their router they'll be given a different IP, unless the enquiries were sent while the connection had been active for some time.

Thanks for the info. I just wanted proof these were spoof enquiries. Never mind.

Thanks again.

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

What makes you think they are fake?

[Ecstatic Events]

What makes you think they are fake?

I'm 99% 2 out of the 3 are from the same person. call it a hunch. I just wanted to see if there was a way of proving my suspicion. No drama, I would find it all very amusing if I were right in my thinking :) :) :)

[Pink Elephant]

Ask them for a home number to have a chat, or better still offer to go round for a chat!

[Shakermaker Promotions]

I've noticed over the past couple of years that the odd 'suspect' enquiry comes through around this time of the year. I thought I had one at the weekend but it turned out to be a proper one and I converted it into a booking.

The problem is - Unless you are totally 100% sure that it is 'fake', you have to deal with them as you normally would which is a pain sometimes. I agree with Pink Elephant....ask for a contact number.

[Ecstatic Events]

I deal with any enquiry with the utmost professionalism. The operator in question has my price now so they can undercut as much as they like. Pretty sad really... 2 were definite fakes, I found and ran a program off the internet that divulges the IP address of the sender.

Asking for a number is a little hard when they specifically state they want to discuss the "imaginary" booking over email - :)

[DazzyD]

I deal with any enquiry with the utmost professionalism. The operator in question has my price now so they can undercut as much as they like. Pretty sad really... 2 were definite fakes, I found and ran a program off the internet that divulges the IP address of the sender.

Asking for a number is a little hard when they specifically state they want to discuss the "imaginary" booking over email - :)

I've peeked in on this thread but had decided not to post... untl now!


What kind of email client do you use?

Callum, in post #2, gave away the obvious clue. If your email client can read full email headers then it could have told you the originating IP address whether it had come from a web-based email or otherwise. A free email client such as Thunderbird would have given you all the info you needed to decided if they had come from the same place / email account.

As for the comment about dynamic IP addressing, this system doesn't totally stop you from being identified. ;)

[Ecstatic Events]

If your email client can read full email headers then it could have told you the originating IP address whether it had come from a web-based email or otherwise. A free email client such as Thunderbird would have given you all the info you needed to decided if they had come from the same place / email account.

As for the comment about dynamic IP addressing, this system doesn't totally stop you from being identified. ;)

Lets just say I'm sure this operator is red faced by now. Caught red handed :mad:

Mystery shopping the same person TWICE in less than a month is extreme.

I can honestly say I have never done this... It's not to say I wont start :D :D :D

[Shakermaker Promotions]

Name and Shame them Mike. Do it via PM if you like so that the rest of us in the area know what or who to look out for.

[Ecstatic Events]

:laughup: Im not like that Gary. But I'm certain the fake enquiries won't be coming from that direction anymore :D :D :D

[Ecstatic Events]

Would you believe it - The "3rd" suspected fake enquiry has just confirmed with me.

How stupid do I feel :o :o :o

[Shakermaker Promotions]

Just thought I'd add to this thread seeing as I am up at silly o'clock in the morning. Typical, big Uplighting job to do today and I can't sleep....

Anyway, I am pretty positive that I have received a 'suspect' enquiry too!!
It came yesterday enquiring about a booking for next year. There wasn't enough information in the email so I requested additional information so that I could provide them with an accurate quotation.

The reply I received was slightly confusing (but half expected - call it a 'hunch', judging on events over the past day or two), because it said "We will no longer be requiring your services" (I hadn't even provided a quote at the time).

I then got another email after asking a question which was so full of absolute, blatant rubbish that it seems pretty obvious to me that it's a fake enquiry and someone trying to be funny. As I said, you have to treat it as a proper enquiry and even if it's full of blatant lies, still remain calm.
It's come from a Google Mail account and there is a mobile number there too so I may give them a call at some point but I don't know if I fancy wasting my time.

There are a number of other ways you can find out if it's someone mucking about and I am as close to 100% positive that (a) It's a definite fake and (b) I know who has sent it. I won't divulge why I am that positive and how I went about finding out.

Very silly though and the person obviously has time to waste, isn't busy enough or both.

[Ecstatic Events]

You can easily hide/mask your IP should you want to sound out your competition via email. It's really not difficult.

IMO people should concentrate on their own business. Market research, yes - but fake enquiries are often very easy to spot and tedious. A big NO.

[Shakermaker Promotions]

Well, what can I say?
I wanted to prove to myself that this was a bit suspect (although I guessed straight away but you have to be careful don't you), so after a bit of Columbo type investigation, the last thing I decided to do was to bite the bullet and call the number and surprise, surprise...."This number is not recognised".
Some people eh!!?

[Mark Wild]

Personally, if I wanted to know your prices, I'd just ring you and ask ! :)

[Shakermaker Promotions]

And I'd tell you too Mark :)
I don't think this is about prices etc. It's someone mucking about I suspect.
I've sussed it anyway now so I won't say anymore.