Ok so basically I played a joke on a friend of mine by pretending to be someone else online. Now they're saying how they're hellbent on finding out who it is and they're going to use software to locate the ISP address that the messages came from...which of course will match mine. If I delete the account, will it still give an ISP that the message came from? And is there any way possible to get out of this? Whether it be by deleting the account or some other way to prevent them from getting the ISP.
2006-08-10 04:41:19 · 10 answers · asked by Jenn 6 in Computers & Internet ➔ Software
First:
ISP address -- not really the term you're thinking of. ISP is the Internet Service Provider. They have a range of IP (Internet Protocol) addresses that they assign to their customer's. It's really the IP address that identifies you on the Internet.
Next, it depends on what you used to play this joke. Going to assume you mean email. With an email they can find out the IP address from looking at the headers of the email and track it to your computer, if they have the right software and knowledge.
Deleting that account won't change the email header info and they could, if they were thinking, compare that to other emails they've received to see if there's a common IP address.
Your ISP may have dynamic IP addresses that renew after a certain amount of time. So you could ask your ISP if your IP address changes. If it does, you may be OK. But if he's looking at headers for this info and he looks at the one you sent from this other account and sent one from another account around the same time, he could put two and two together VERY easily.
Chances are though that if your friend had the ability to do this, he would've done it by now. He'd probably spend a lot of time trying to figure it out or have to enlist someone who knows how to do this.
It might be better just to tell him what you did and be up front about it. Could be a lot more awkward for him to find out by his own detective work.
2006-08-10 05:19:38 · answer #1 · answered by stimply 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Deleting the account will not help. The records would show what IP was used at the time the message was sent, Changing it now would be pointless.
But good luck to them to try and trace it back to you. Most ISPs will not give out that information without a court order. Even then, they usually fight the order on privacy grounds.
If you are smart though, you should confess up to what you did and beg forgiveness.
2006-08-10 11:55:28 · answer #2 · answered by dewcoons 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Where did you send the messages from?
Did you use something like Yahoo or Msn ??
Because they cannot find the ip address of the other person you are talking to. The reason is that you are connected to the yahoo server which forwards your messages to them. The server doesn't send your ip address to the other user for security reasons. So you don't have to worry about it unless you messaged them using some kind of direct connection where your connected to the other person's computer.
And even yahoo and msn servers' donot keep your ip addresses for too long. They also get rid of the messages you send them after a while and i mean max of a couple of mins.
So seriously donot worry !
2006-08-10 12:00:10 · answer #3 · answered by xlord_vader 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It depends on the service you use to access the internet, since the majority of ISPs use DHCP then they won't be able to track it to you without paying your ISP a hefty fee. So unless you did something vengeful or along the lines of death threats I wouldn't worry about it.
2006-08-10 11:48:32 · answer #4 · answered by The Saint 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
if they check the logs of the ISP, it will show that the msgs came from the ip address assigned to your pc at the time of the msgs.
so. you could stick your pc in the microwave, it wouldnt help.
sorry. its highly doubtful that the ISP will provide any data to them unless some kind of criminal complait is filed, unless they scream and yell enough, then the sysop will give the info just to get them out of his shop.
2006-08-10 11:48:48 · answer #5 · answered by digital genius 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They are bluffing. They cant find out your IP address unless you go into their website that logs IP addresses. There is no way they can find out your IP through a chat server.
Your Yahoo Messenger ---> Yahoo Chat Server ----> Their Yahoo Messenger
Unless they work for Yahoo! and they have access to their server, they cannot find your IP address whether it be from your chat program or email. The only way is if you LET them get into your computer.
2006-08-10 11:48:16 · answer #6 · answered by Sean I.T ? 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Relax the IP address can change and besides if you have XP they have a fire wall built in to it.. Which I believe is pretty handy. My advice to you is take a seat to the calm side kick back and laugh in the face of fear. Because you are the captain of your own life.. Side note: You'll be all right, because God is on your side///
2006-08-10 11:55:07 · answer #7 · answered by Anointed71 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
~ http://answers.yahoo.com/search/search_result;_ylt=AirdSMLIsQ7NP9JxGYMQzt8ezKIX?p=isp+address
~ It's a bluff!
2006-08-10 11:48:03 · answer #8 · answered by helpdesk916 ♦♣♠♥ 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
change your ISP on your computer
2006-08-10 11:47:49 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
tell them b4 they find out
2006-08-10 11:51:30 · answer #10 · answered by benji2k3 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋