Uncover Email Snoops: Protect Your Privacy

It is possible to find out who is monitoring your emails, but it is a complex process. There are several ways to do this, including using a reverse email lookup service, Google search, social media search, browser extensions, and IP address tracing. These methods can help uncover the person behind an email address and provide additional details such as social media accounts, location, and other contact information. However, it's important to note that monitoring employee emails is common for employers, who often have written policies in place to inform employees that their work emails are not private. Additionally, using company equipment for personal emails may give the employer the right to monitor those communications as well, especially if the employee has consented to monitoring in writing.

Reverse email lookup tools

There are a variety of reverse email lookup tools available, ranging from free to paid services, as well as automated tools that use APIs. Some examples of these tools include Reverse Contact, Proxycurl, and YouGetSignal. These tools can be used by businesses to streamline customer verification, improve email marketing, and aid in fraud prevention. They can also be used to enrich customer service experiences, enhance lead generation efforts, and build valuable networks and partnerships.

For example, Reverse Contact is a tool that allows businesses to find reliable professional information about a person and their company based on their email address. It can also be used to convert email lists into LinkedIn connections and gather company-related data from personal emails. Proxycurl is another tool that can be used to obtain corresponding social media profiles and rich profile data using only an email address. This tool can be automated and used at scale to enrich a CRM with hundreds or thousands of leads.

It is important to note that the effectiveness of these tools may vary, and some may provide more comprehensive information than others. Additionally, while some tools offer free trials or free plans, others may require a subscription or payment to access all features and information.

Google search

If you are an administrator or manage the email system for your organisation, you can use Google's Email Log Search (ELS) to find and review details about email messages sent and received by people in your organisation. You can search for all messages or specific messages by sender, date, or message ID. However, you cannot view message contents using ELS.

To use ELS, sign in to your Google Admin console with your administrator account. Then, go to Menu Reporting > Email Log Search. From there, you can perform a predefined search or a custom search. Predefined searches include all messages from today, all messages since yesterday, all messages in the last 7 days, messages sent from your domain since yesterday, and messages received from your domain since yesterday. For custom searches, you can specify a date range, the sender's email address, the recipient's email address, the IP address of the sender or recipient, the message subject line, or the message ID.

In addition to ELS, Google offers other features that allow administrators to view and manage message contents, including Gmail content compliance rules, Gmail delegation, and Google Vault.

It is important to note that any kind of employee email monitoring is a tricky business. While employers have the right to monitor employee email as long as the monitored email address is provided by the employer, it is advisable to disclose this information to employees to build trust and prevent morale issues.

Social media search

There are several ways to find out who is monitoring your emails by performing a social media search. Here are some methods you can use:

• Manual Search on Social Networks: This is the simplest method. You can manually enter the email address on popular social networks like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. The results will vary depending on the account's privacy settings, but there is a fair chance of getting immediate results.
• Search Engines: Conventional search engines like Google and Bing can sometimes reveal associated social media accounts. Simply type the email address into the search bar and browse through the results. Keep in mind that some profiles or accounts may not be publicly visible or linked to an email address.
• Specialized Online Tools: There are online tools specifically designed to search for social media accounts using an email address. Some popular options include:
• Lullar: A free online tool that functions like a search engine for email and social media databases. However, it may not always provide accurate results.
• PeopleLooker: A powerful platform that offers background reports, photos, contact info, phone lookups, email lookups, address lookups, and criminal records. It has a dedicated customer support team and mobile apps for iOS and Android.
• Spokeo: Covers 120+ social media platforms and utilizes OSINT (Open Source Intelligence) to collect data from publicly verified sources. It offers a basic search for free, with more detailed reports available for a small fee.
• Social Catfish: Uncovers different social networking platforms linked to a specific email address and provides contact, personal, and work details. It helps verify identities and protect against catfishing scams.
• SEON: A powerful search tool that can scan over 90 social and digital platforms to reveal insightful details about the email owner. It is particularly useful for fraud detection and customer insights.
• BeenVerified: A versatile search tool that helps find people, contact information, vehicles, and addresses. It also offers additional features like identifying unknown callers and finding unclaimed money.
• Email Finder Browser Extensions: Browser extensions like Hunter.io and Snov.io can be installed to find social media profiles associated with email addresses. These tools integrate with your web browser and provide quick access to the information you need.

While these methods can help you find out who is monitoring your emails, it is important to consider the ethical and legal implications of such actions. Always respect privacy settings, obtain consent, and ensure that your activities do not violate any data privacy or protection regulations.

Browser extensions

Several browser extensions can help you find out if someone is monitoring your emails. These extensions are designed to track email opens and provide insights into recipient behaviour. Here is a list of some popular options:

• Mailtrack : This extension works with Gmail and has an add-on for Android/iOS devices. It uses a tracking pixel and a series of checkmarks to notify you when your email has been opened. The free plan offers unlimited tracking but includes a "sent with Mailtrack" signature. The Pro plan ($4.99/month) removes the signature and includes additional features.
• Mixmax : Mixmax is a powerful mail tracker that uses a tracking pixel to identify when your emails have been opened. It offers features such as calendar scheduling, automated email follow-ups, and in-email polls. Mixmax integrates with Gmail, Salesforce, Slack, and other platforms. Pricing starts at $12/user per month for the Starter plan, which includes unlimited tracked emails.
• Gmelius : Gmelius tracks when your emails are opened and how many clicks the recipient makes, notifying you via a tracking pixel and desktop notification. It also offers email scheduling, integrated Kanban boards, workflow automation, and built-in email templates. Gmelius only works with Gmail. Pricing starts at $12/user per month for the Plus plan, which includes CRM integration and unlimited email templates.
• SalesHandy : SalesHandy is a browser extension with mail tracker capabilities, offering real-time notifications when your emails are read or when links in your emails are clicked. It also provides email templates, link tracking, and lead tracking. SalesHandy is compatible with Gmail and Outlook. The Regular plan ($12/user per month) includes custom domains and mail merges, while the Plus plan ($27/user per month) adds mail merges with automatic follow-ups.
• Cirrus Insight : This extension helps users log emails, sync calendars, and organise lead and contact management workflows. It includes email tracking, email scheduling, link tracking, and Salesforce integration. Cirrus Insight works with both Gmail and Outlook. Pricing starts at $36/user per month for the Starter plan, which includes email tracking, follow-up alerts, and email templates.
• LeadBoxer : LeadBoxer is a lead generation app that provides real-time information about your email recipients and sales workflow. It includes built-in email tracking, dedicated lead management dashboards, lead scoring, and email notification for specific leads. LeadBoxer works with Gmail and Outlook. The Basic plan ($228.75/month) includes unlimited leads and contacts, web and email behaviour tracking, and real-time notifications.
• HubSpot Sales : HubSpot Sales is a platform that helps you identify who has opened your emails via a powerful notification system. It offers predictive lead scoring, workflow extensions, canned snippets, and a reporting dashboard. HubSpot Sales can track emails from both Gmail and Outlook. Pricing starts at $50/month for two paid users, including a deal pipeline, custom properties, and meeting scheduling.
• GMass : GMass is an email tracker and outreach tool used by large companies and solopreneurs to manage email campaigns. It offers detailed analytics, automatic email personalisation, simplified list building, and automated follow-ups. GMass works with Gmail and can connect with the Gmail mobile app for Android. Pricing starts at $25/month for the Standard plan, which includes unlimited emails, contacts, and campaigns, as well as mail merge personalisation.
• PixelBlock : PixelBlock is a free Chrome extension for Gmail that blocks all email monitoring attempts. It operates locally on your browser and does not store, access, or transmit any data, ensuring your privacy.

IP address tracing

An IP address is a string of numbers used to identify your network or device on the internet. When you connect to a website, the website operator receives your public IP address. This acts as an online ID, allowing the operator to send requested data to the correct place.

IP addresses are composed of a series of four numbers, separated by periods, ranging from 0-255. They can be either public, meaning visible to everyone, or private, meaning only visible within a certain network.

IP addresses can be traced to find out the approximate geographical location of the user, as well as their Internet Service Provider (ISP). This can be done through various online IP lookup tools, such as WolframAlpha or the Spiceworks IP Lookup tool.

Tracing an IP Address from an Email

To trace the IP address of an email sender, follow these steps:

• Log into your email account.
• Open the email you want to trace.
• Click on the options menu, usually marked with three dots.
• Select the option to view the "raw" or "original" email.
• Locate the sender's IP address within the raw email data.
• Input the IP address into an IP lookup tool.

Note that the IP addresses found in the email may lead back to the email provider's relay servers rather than the sender's network.

Tracing an IP Address Using Command Prompt

Command Prompt is a built-in tool in the Windows operating system. It can be used to trace the IP address of a website or a specific device. Here are the steps:

• Open the Command Prompt Window by pressing Windows + R, then typing "cmd" and pressing enter.
• Enter the website URL after "ping" and press enter.
• Enter the IP address you wish to trace by typing "tracert" followed by the IP address.
• The Command Prompt window will display a list of IP addresses and the time it took to reach each one.
• To identify the location of the IP address, use a tool such as whatismyipaddress.com.

Frequently asked questions