Did a friend really send me this? How do you decode where a spam email came from?

@TheHorse (205710)
Walnut Creek, California
October 13, 2018 12:13pm CST
I just got one of those "I just thought you want to see this (link)" emails, ostensibly from a friend. Of course I didn't open the link. When I hit reply, the following came up: (my friend's name)273@ast.uct.ac.za. I assume it wouldn't be too hard to figure out where the email came from, but I don't know how to do it. Do you sometimes get email from "friends" that aren't really from friends? Has your name ever been used? I think my actual email address was used a few years ago. I just changed my password.
17 people like this
17 responses
vanny
@vandana7 (98823)
• India
13 Oct 18
I have no clue. One thing is certain, if you receive such a mail from me, you can always confirm from me, through email. Evil Grin. LOL
3 people like this
vanny
@vandana7 (98823)
• India
14 Oct 18
@TheHorse What to do, I have no choice but to be honest...
3 people like this
The Horse
@TheHorse (205710)
• Walnut Creek, California
13 Oct 18
I recognize your emails. You always say something obnoxious.
2 people like this
DE
@DaddyEvil (137145)
• United States
16 Oct 18
2 people like this
DW Davis
@DWDavis (25812)
• Pikeville, North Carolina
14 Oct 18
.za is for accounts originating in South Africa according to one source I checked. When I get one of those "Check out this link" e-mails I delete it right away, too.
3 people like this
DW Davis
@DWDavis (25812)
• Pikeville, North Carolina
15 Oct 18
@TheHorse Could be. I find it best to delete any email from a source I don't recognize and trust.
3 people like this
The Horse
@TheHorse (205710)
• Walnut Creek, California
15 Oct 18
@DWDavis I do the same.
3 people like this
The Horse
@TheHorse (205710)
• Walnut Creek, California
15 Oct 18
South Africa. Is that becoming a new "scam central"?
4 people like this
DE
@DaddyEvil (137145)
• United States
16 Oct 18
There are some really good free ip address tracers, pony... Here is the one I've used when something about the email seems "off". It gives easy to follow instructions (for me). If you have any trouble understanding the steps there, please let me know. I'll do everything I can to help you with it.
Trace Email Address Source
whatismyipaddress.com
This tool finds the sender's IP address of an email by parsing the email's headers. Copy/Paste the headers of an email and submit to see the source IP and location.
2 people like this
vanny
@vandana7 (98823)
• India
16 Oct 18
You mean to say you traced me down to Nigeria? These days I can keep nothing as secret...damn the Internet..evil grin
3 people like this
DE
@DaddyEvil (137145)
• United States
16 Oct 18
@vandana7 Now, I very carefully didn't say whose email I felt the need to trace, vanny... You just gave yourself away to all the nice folks here on myLot!
2 people like this
The Horse
@TheHorse (205710)
• Walnut Creek, California
15 Dec 18
@vandana7 Are you Barrister Mbalo?
3 people like this
Eva James
@wolfgirl569 (95136)
• Marion, Ohio
13 Oct 18
I dont seem to get them anymore. But I do get the ones trying to pose as my credit card company or paypal. I just forward them to the fraud section of which ever one they are trying to impersonate.
3 people like this
The Horse
@TheHorse (205710)
• Walnut Creek, California
13 Oct 18
Yes, I still get those now and again. I do the same thing.
1 person likes this
Jo Ann
@akalinus (40440)
• United States
6 Dec 18
I get that a lot. I recognize the name of a friend and a link with no information where it came from. I direct them all to the spam file where they get deleted in 30 days or sooner if I do it.
2 people like this
DE
@DaddyEvil (137145)
• United States
13 Dec 18
@akalinus OH! So that's whats been happening to all the emails I send you, huh?
1 person likes this
Jo Ann
@akalinus (40440)
• United States
15 Dec 18
@DaddyEvil I keep your emails but you owe me one about what is and will be going on. You've been keeping me in the dark.
1 person likes this
The Horse
@TheHorse (205710)
• Walnut Creek, California
7 Dec 18
Yep.
2 people like this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (325751)
• Rockingham, Australia
14 Oct 18
Hopefully someone will chime in and tell us all.
3 people like this
DE
@DaddyEvil (137145)
• United States
16 Oct 18
I posted a link in my response to pony that explains how to find an email header and gives the search tool to see where the email really came from, if it's possible. If the email is really a spam email, then the sender probably didn't make it easy to trace him/her, though. *shrug* There is only so much people can do, even with the training a professional gets.
3 people like this
The Horse
@TheHorse (205710)
• Walnut Creek, California
27 Dec 18
It would have to be DE.
The Horse
@TheHorse (205710)
• Walnut Creek, California
27 Dec 18
@DaddyEvil Else, scammers would all be in prison.
Heather Echola
@GardenGerty (157552)
• United States
14 Oct 18
I do not get those in the e mail, currently. At least not too often. I would have marked it spam.
2 people like this
vanny
@vandana7 (98823)
• India
16 Oct 18
He has been flirting too much...somebody is testing waters whether he is serious..
1 person likes this
The Horse
@TheHorse (205710)
• Walnut Creek, California
12 Dec 18
@vandana7 Someone from South Africa?
1 person likes this
The Horse
@TheHorse (205710)
• Walnut Creek, California
12 Dec 18
Yeppers, I deleted it pretty quickly.
1 person likes this
celticeagle
@celticeagle (159008)
• Boise, Idaho
14 Oct 18
I sure do. I usually let the friend know so they can check their passwords and redo them for security sake. If that would help any.
2 people like this
celticeagle
@celticeagle (159008)
• Boise, Idaho
10 Dec 18
@TheHorse .......I don't either.
2 people like this
The Horse
@TheHorse (205710)
• Walnut Creek, California
7 Dec 18
I don't even bother doing that anymore.
2 people like this
The Horse
@TheHorse (205710)
• Walnut Creek, California
14 Dec 18
@celticeagle It's as common as finding dog poop on a hiking trail.
2 people like this
Mavic123456
@Mavic123456 (21898)
• Thailand
7 Dec 18
yup, I was once a victim of it and I opened it. and it was a virus... my hard disk was wiped out I cried... lol
1 person likes this
Mavic123456
@Mavic123456 (21898)
• Thailand
7 Dec 18
@TheHorse I was expecting a package and I was sent this UPS tracking number then... kaboom.. my hard disk went crazy I have to buy an antivirus from this site and so on... so I just reformatted my laptop. what's bad is all the software that I installed there were all licensed including my adobe, because the IT people in school are my friends, so I took the licensed from school's we have a perpetual and unlimited number of users.
The Horse
@TheHorse (205710)
• Walnut Creek, California
7 Dec 18
What did it say? What made you think it was "real"?
1 person likes this
Anna
@LadyDuck (458006)
• Switzerland
14 Oct 18
When in doubt, I check always where the mail comes from. It's so easy to "forge" an email to make you think it comes from one of your contacts.
2 people like this
Anna
@LadyDuck (458006)
• Switzerland
15 Oct 18
@TheHorse I use gmail and I know how to check where the email really comes from. If the message was really sent by your friend, may be he thought it's a funny sign.
2 people like this
The Horse
@TheHorse (205710)
• Walnut Creek, California
15 Oct 18
If it says, "I thought you might like this," with no further text, I know it's BS.
3 people like this
Alfredo Rossi
@amadeo (111948)
• United States
13 Oct 18
No I have not.Maybe some one here can be of help
2 people like this
The Horse
@TheHorse (205710)
• Walnut Creek, California
13 Oct 18
My hunch is that either @DaddyEvil or @JolietJake will be able to ID the country it came from.
Alfredo Rossi
@amadeo (111948)
• United States
13 Oct 18
@TheHorse Okay and thank you.
1 person likes this
The Horse
@TheHorse (205710)
• Walnut Creek, California
13 Oct 18
@amadeo Thanks for checking in!
Angie
@andriaperry (116860)
• Anniston, Alabama
13 Oct 18
I have a business email, and I can say that more and more I am getting spam. I do not email many people, most of my online friends are here and facebook. Family calls me soooo... .. Hey wait! that sounds sad. "Shrugs" Nope I am all good.
2 people like this
DE
@DaddyEvil (137145)
• United States
16 Oct 18
@TheHorse Only if you think too hard about too many things that are or have been going on... I do my best to ignore most things!
The Horse
@TheHorse (205710)
• Walnut Creek, California
15 Oct 18
Eh. I'm always a bit sad. State of the world, you know.
1 person likes this
Arunima Singh
@arunima25 (85274)
• Bangalore, India
13 Oct 18
I get a lot of spam mails. In fact they outnumber the genuine mails that I get. Thankfully I receive no or few spam mails on my Gmail account
1 person likes this
The Horse
@TheHorse (205710)
• Walnut Creek, California
13 Oct 18
@arunima25 Yep, I've pluked some non-spams out of the spam folder. Usually it's from a retailer that I DO trust and patronize.
1 person likes this
The Horse
@TheHorse (205710)
• Walnut Creek, California
13 Oct 18
I think I have G-mail account. But I don't use it. Maybe I should. But aol does toss most of the garbage emails into my SPAM folder.
1 person likes this
Arunima Singh
@arunima25 (85274)
• Bangalore, India
13 Oct 18
@TheHorse Yahoo also tosses it in spam folder but many a times a genuine mail goes to spam folder while a spam one is still sitting there in my inbox.
1 person likes this
DEBJANI BASAK
@debjani1 (7207)
•
14 Oct 18
No I don't get such type of email from my friend.
2 people like this
The Horse
@TheHorse (205710)
• Walnut Creek, California
7 Dec 18
@debjani1 Some take them seriously when they do get them. But I've seen them before, so I just delete them.
The Horse
@TheHorse (205710)
• Walnut Creek, California
7 Dec 18
I reckon that's good. Many of us do.
DEBJANI BASAK
@debjani1 (7207)
•
7 Dec 18
@TheHorse then no need to take tension.
1 person likes this
BarBaraPrz
@BarBaraPrz (45484)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
14 Oct 18
Yeah, I get those. Wish I got real emails from some of them.
1 person likes this
The Horse
@TheHorse (205710)
• Walnut Creek, California
15 Oct 18
There are people I'd like to hear from!
1 person likes this
Scott Ganschow
@teamfreak16 (43421)
• Denver, Colorado
21 Oct 18
No, but someone hacked my Hotmail account last week, so they have shut it down because I don't remember the security questions. No surprise, since I set the account up back in the early 90's.
1 person likes this
CarolDM
@CarolDM (203454)
• Nashville, Tennessee
25 Dec 18
I change my password often just to be safe.
1 person likes this
The Horse
@TheHorse (205710)
• Walnut Creek, California
25 Dec 18
That's a good idea. I should do the same. But I'm lazy. Plus I'm sure I'd forget the new ones.
1 person likes this