how to find someones ip

An IP address is a location where a user is sending messages from Not presented as a street address, but a more general geographic area. According to Dictionary.com, an IP address is, "a code that identifies a computer network or particular computer or another device on a network, consisting of four numbers separated by periods."

Why would anyone want to know how to find someones IP address?

For those who suspect they have been victims of online scams or catfish, this information can be invaluable. It can give the victim the proof they are looking for. One example is scammers who lie that they live in the United States or are on vacation, but live overseas or in Nigeria where they seek to take your cash!

Another common catfish scenario is an individual who lives in a different state than they claim while leading their victims on romantically. Since being scammed or catfished involves such deep deception, it is essential for those who are tricked to have as much proof as possible. Figuring out someone's IP address is one step toward uncovering the truth!

Familiarize Yourself

To get started, go to google.com and type "what is my IP address." Google will then display a code, separated by dots, which tells your public IP address. This is your phone or computer's IP address and is only relevant to your search, as it shows you the type of code you'll be looking for next.

Search IP Address Through Email

Searching the 'header' of emails used to give the sender's IP address easily. Unfortunately, as technology has expanded, many email servers now privatize that information, making it harder to figure out. Other times, experienced catfish or scammers use proxy servers to hide where they are.

If the person you're emailing uses Gmail through the web, Gmail will not expose the originating IP address, and their Gmail sent email will show their Google IP instead. AOL is one provider which makes originating IP easier to find, while sites like Hushmail privatize theirs. Here is how to search through popular email servers:

If You're Using Gmail

Go to the email you received and select the downward arrow. Then choose 'Show Original.' Look for the information at the bottom of the page, which will show many numbers and return codes. Typically you will look for 'Received: from.' The IP address will be listed after this, between square brackets [ ]. Select the last received IP on the page.

If You're Using Yahoo

Go To the email you received and select "More" from the top of the screen. Next, select "View Full Header."

Typically you will look for 'Received: from.' The IP address will be listed after this, between square brackets [ ]. You will want the first IP code for 'X-Originating-IP.'

If You're Using Hotmail & AOL: Go both servers, go to the email you received and select 'View Message Source.' For Hotmail go to 'Sort' and for AOL go to 'Action.'

Next, select 'View Message Source' and look for 'Received: From' followed by brackets [ ]. Look for the IP address which follows either the 'X-Originating-IP' or 'X-AOL-IP.'

Should you successfully extract their IP address from the email, type it into Google and perform a free IP search. Be aware that you may discover it is only the email server's IP.

Facebook Messaging

If you are messaging through Facebook, you can attempt to figure out the IP of who you're communicating with.

Search for Facebook IP On Windows

To do so, make sure your chat is active and go to your computer's 'Search' function. Type 'Command Prompt' or select: Windows + R > then type 'cmd'.

Next type: 'netstat – an' and what follows will be a list of IP addresses. Assuming the person you're communicating with doesn't have a Proxy server set up (which can hide actual location), you can discover their IP.

Search for Facebook IP on an iMac or Mac

Go to the 'Spotlight,' i.e., the 'magnifying glass' icon at the top right of the home screen. Type 'Network Utility' > 'Netstat'. Apple also gives you options to search for any IP address under 'Network Utility' > WhoIs,' to avoid having to consult Google.

Not Tech Savvy or Still Haven't Found out the Truth?

If an IP address search did not give you the information you wanted, consider consulting a more comprehensive search, such as the one found through Social Catfish. You can also opt to get help from a trained Search Specialist who takes the guesswork out of searching for a scammer or spammer as it will provide one on one support and we use our won custom built IP tracker only available for In-Depth Search Specialist customers:

On Social Catfish you can track someone's digital footprint via a specialized search algorithm that you won't get through standard search engines alone:

Think you're being catfished? Tell us about your experience in the comments! Had luck locating an IP address for a spammer or scammer? Tell us how you did it!