Search for IP Owner

[ConcernedParent]

My daughters email has been used by someone we don't know and they had "obtained without us knowing" her password. They have sent emails to various people in her address list but not the same message - the email usually relates to the person receiving the message. With the received email that was forwarded to me by one that rcvd a messae the IP address 24.23.91.20 was listed as the received from address, but my daughters email address was the one used to send the message. From that I was able to locate what I think is the provider "Comcast Cable IP Svcs EASTERNSHOR-1" and it also listed "Comcast Cable, Inc. Texas (Net-24-23-80-0-1). It could easily be a student from her school (Middle School) and I don't have a big problem but they are making her life a living hell because of what they are sending and saying to others. I'd just like to call the parent and let them know - or I'd like to know if someone we don't know is in her computer (so to speak).

I know alot about computers but speak in southern plain english.

thanks

[trickster]

Hi,

I had a friend who had the same problem as you.
You need to contact Comcast and put a complaint, including all the information you mentioned. Unfortunately, they are the only ones who know who specifically has the lease on that IP address. However, they might be cooperative if you mention that you are putting a complain with the police.
Go talk to the local police department and see if you can file a complaint of some sort.
Also, check your daughter's emails. All email addresses have "email headers." This means that every email address sent to her at any point in time has the IP address of the person who sent it. Chances are that she knows the person doing this, and she might have received an email from that person at some point in time.

[Schotty]

I would have her change her password too. Then whoever it is that has illegally accessed her account will not be able to do this anymore.

[Compunuts]

As far as I can see, there is little you can do (and little police and ISPs will do) as long as there is no harm done (such in plotting murder or blowup some schools) physically to others. I know it's pain in the rear but then it's part of life. There are plenty of spams that goes around and I had been a victim of somesort in the past with various spammers including selling viagra or sending out p0rn. It's just easier to move on to something if you are using free email accounts (such as Yahoo or gmail) or create another account if you are using ISPs with multiple mail boxes options like Comcast.

Like I said, I KNOW that it's very inconvience thing to do (it is a hassel) but the amount of time it will take them to do like checking who was assigned to that IP at that time of the day is very tedious job. But if they even know, what are they going to do? Even if they know, I doubt they will give you that info fear of getting sued later on if things went terribly wrong (how can they be sure you won't shoot them with your caliber?). That kind of info surrender to you will involve you getting court order for it. How are you going to convince the judge to issue such an order without physical harm? Even IRAA wasn't able to get that info without a major lawsuit from supreme court.

Like I said, I KNOW your pain but there is little else I see you can do. Raising a kid is hard (especially a teenage daughter). But this email thing is just an electronic version of someone writing dirty letters and sign as your daughter and passing them around. There is not much you can do but to just ignore it. Like I said, move on to other things like new email address, hard to guess passwords, teach her to look out for those praying eyes while she is using public computers such as school labs, never to share her password, use secure providers, secure passwords, etc.