How do I trace an email

[carolrhart]

I received a very insulting email sent to me via an "e-sult" website. The source email address was clearly made up just to send me the message, but is there anyway to tracking the real source - it was so bad I'm thinking of going to the police with it.

[Ethel]

You need to read the email header.

http://www.stopspam.org/email/headers.html

If you feel so strongly about it, go the police but also contact the email provider.

[Machecoul]

You might also get some additional information by right clicking on the e-mail (when it shows in your inbox) and selecting properties.

[rojash]

If the email came from a web site then the header will not information about who is ultimately responsible, only the account used by the website itself. This is the whole purpose of this type of site - to allow people to send offensive stuff at one degree of removal.