Threatening e-mails - tracing IP address

[Andee 220524]

An SP friend of mine out in Vancouver has been receiving threatening e-mails from another SP who is accusing her being responsible for flagging her on CL. She has the IP address and reported it to Shaw, her provider.

 

Is there anyway she could a) verify it is a Shaw subscriber and b) ascertain their identity.

 

If anyone has any ideas, you can pm me for more information. She gave me the IP address etc.

[etasman2000 15994]

If the emails are coming from Gmail, MSN Hotmail, Yahoo Mail or some other free email provider you can't trace it via the IP address.

[Malika Fantasy 144625]

If the emails are coming from Gmail, MSN Hotmail, Yahoo Mail or some other free email provider you can't trace it via the IP address.

 

 

Actually it's a bit false.

 

If you go to the police( I know in this situation it isn't easy) but they can find it, it take about 2 weeks or so

[Cowboy kenny 50799]

IP addresses are traceable through Hotmail, and occasionally Yahoo. However with GMail that is not possible.

 

Shaw will not surrender the customer information to the police with out a subpoena, they may contact the customer directly to assist in the resolution but not likely. They will not give that information directly to your friend.

 

If the notes are threatening, implied or direct then the police should be made aware of the situation.

[etasman2000 15994]

Actually it's a bit false.

 

If you go to the police( I know in this situation it isn't easy) but they can find it, it take about 2 weeks or so

 

Well yes because that would mean the police filing a request to the email hosting company to trace their logs.

 

For an individual using the various tools available it isn't possible.

[dunkinsailor 1220]

Anyone can do a reverse ip lookup (provided by a slew of sites out there, such as http://remote.12dt.com/), that will give the name of the internet provider, if the ip of the sender is included in the source text of the email (if the "view source" option is available in your email program). More responsible providers cancel the internet accounts of anyone who uses their account in ways that violate the provider's terms of service. Often the provider will give a warning first, unless the suscriber has done something way out in left field.

[hunknhot 1067]

The trace is possbile, there are a number of ways to do it many of them listed above. Some take faster than two weeks :) thats just paperwork ad authorizations. Either way I would not reccomend it. Since there are threats this could escalate even further with information that could be retrieved. My advice, file a police report on the threats. They can do their own search but I doubt they would care who is doing the blocking. They will be more concerned about the threats

[Annessa 22743]

Since there are threats this could escalate even further with information that could be retrieved. My advice, file a police report on the threats. They can do their own search but I doubt they would care who is doing the blocking. They will be more concerned about the threats

 

took the word right out of my mouth. tell your friend that a threat is a threat and should be reported...dont question whether someone is just "talking the talk". An obvious threat to her from this other SP gives her reason to take the matter to the police.

[Andee 220524]

The person didn't say what they were going to do - here's what they wrote - kind of immature if you ask me.

 

1st e-mail:

You better stop playing your fucking games bitch!!!! You are posted all over the internet as being a psycho. I know your game, in every aspect that you think I do not.

 

Keep it up, tits up!!!!

 

When asked what person was talking about, she received

2nd e-mail:

Find out.... you won't know what date it is or whether it is now or 6 months, a year from now you fucking cunt, and you will see how nice a date can be!!!

[mod 135640]

This is threatening and the police should investigate this for you.

[BownChickaBown 4829]

I believe by law 'unsolicited e-mail' is considered Spam, thus I would tell the Sender to Cease and Desist. At the same time, I would report these Threats, perceived or otherwise, to the Police, as much as to talk to Shaw (or whomever the ISP/E-Mail Service is), and ask them to close the account, as I believe (but dependent upon T&Cs) the account can be closed for this reason (ie: used to Spam people with).

 

While I am no Lawyer (yet), the Spam argument worked for me against the Palm Pilot Corp. and their fancy NYC Lawyers, as they made threats (via e-mail and snail-mail) against suing me, but I have never heard from them since. Regardless of my case involving Intellectual Property, their 'unsolicited e-mail' was just Spam, and their threats were baseless - thus upon me reporting this to international authorities, as I said, they capitulated.

 

As well, such threats may violate the Charter of Rights and Freedoms with respect to Harassment. Probably could even get a restraining order.

 

Good Luck!! I hope all works out well.

[Andee 220524]

I have sent your replies onto her and she thanks everyone for their input.

[kih 458]

The person didn't say what they were going to do - here's what they wrote - kind of immature if you ask me.

 

1st e-mail:

You better stop playing your fucking games bitch!!!! You are posted all over the internet as being a psycho. I know your game, in every aspect that you think I do not.

 

Keep it up, tits up!!!!

 

When asked what person was talking about, she received

2nd e-mail:

Find out.... you won't know what date it is or whether it is now or 6 months, a year from now you fucking cunt, and you will see how nice a date can be!!!

 

 

this guy needs to get a life - what a loser

[m******e 100]

This is threatening and the police should investigate this for you.

 

Yes Never Take A Chance.

[mod 135640]

Cyber threats and Cyber bulling is a major issue. People think they are completely untraceable when they use Gmail or other so called "Anonymous" services. That is not the case - even gmail keeps your REAL IP address and masks it with a code so that if a court of law every requested that IP they would be able to produce it (Same with static and dynamic IP's your ISP stores these log ins). The big problem is the unsecured wireless connections, internet cafe's and hotspots. These have no record of the sender and a lot of cyberbulling is done using these open networks.

 

If you know for sure who this person is you need to go to the police.

 

You can find many sites with information for Canada, human rights and online harassment - here is one found just now with a simple google search.

 

http://www.bewebaware.ca/english/cyberbullying.html

 

"Under the Criminal Code of Canada, it is a crime to communicate repeatedly with someone if your communication causes them to fear for their own safety or the safety of others.

 

It's also a crime to publish a "defamatory libel" - writing something that is designed to insult a person or likely to injure a person's reputation by exposing him or her to hatred, contempt or ridicule.

A cyber bully may also be violating the Canadian Human Rights Act, if he or she spreads hate or discrimination based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, family status or disability."

 

 

This is also why SLANDEROUS or INSULTING posts on a discussion board are not only wrong but very much ILLEGAL and the board owners and the ISP's who host these discussion sites MUST store IP address's!!

 

Slander, hate and threats are not being taken lightly online anymore. People are getting caught and taken to court for this stuff now a days!

[fortunateone 156618]

Cyber threats and Cyber bulling is a major issue. People think they are completely untraceable when they use Gmail or other so called "Anonymous" services. That is not the case - even gmail keeps your REAL IP address and masks it with a code so that if a court of law every requested that IP they would be able to produce it (Same with static and dynamic IP's your ISP stores these log ins). The big problem is the unsecured wireless connections, internet cafe's and hotspots. These have no record of the sender and a lot of cyberbulling is done using these open networks.

 

If you know for sure who this person is you need to go to the police.

 

You can find many sites with information for Canada, human rights and online harassment - here is one found just now with a simple google search.

 

http://www.bewebaware.ca/english/cyberbullying.html

 

"Under the Criminal Code of Canada, it is a crime to communicate repeatedly with someone if your communication causes them to fear for their own safety or the safety of others.

 

It's also a crime to publish a "defamatory libel" - writing something that is designed to insult a person or likely to injure a person's reputation by exposing him or her to hatred, contempt or ridicule.

A cyber bully may also be violating the Canadian Human Rights Act, if he or she spreads hate or discrimination based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, family status or disability."

 

 

This is also why SLANDEROUS or INSULTING posts on a discussion board are not only wrong but very much ILLEGAL and the board owners and the ISP's who host these discussion sites MUST store IP address's!!

 

Slander, hate and threats are not being taken lightly online anymore. People are getting caught and taken to court for this stuff now a days!

 

That's quite right. And people tend to think nothing of emails and texts and leave voice messages as though they haven't just left a permanent record of their activity :confused: They have just created a case against themselves. It is one thing to call someone up and spew all that out from a blocked #, which is still traceable, but to actually write it down and send it out is just crazy. Acting as though no one can touch them or will do anything about it because they are directed at sps really doesn't work anymore.

 

The emails should be forwards to abuse at the originators email account. So if coming from a gmail account, forward it to [email protected] (unless this is different for gmail) Email services always have an abuse or help contact address, but it may take time to figure out what the address is.

 

I assume the emails are being sent (from how they look) in response to something the sp perceives is going on? Any idea what prompted the emails, or was it just out of the blue to a recent ad posting?

[ekimout 188]

There certainly are times in life where being indecisive and procrastinating would not be wise. Obviously we don't have the whole story, but I think your friend has reached that point. I would report the issue to the proper authorities.