Internet messages include routing information in their headers that specifies the sending address and server, the route the message took to get to you, and other data. In most cases, the header offers more information than you need, particularly if all you’re interested in is the body of the message. However, if you’re trying to troubleshoot a mail problem or identify a sender who is spamming you, the headers can be useful.
Inside Out: Track down spammers
You can’t always assume that the information in a message header is accurate. Spammers often spoof or impersonate another user or server—or relay mail through another server—to hide the true origin of the message. The header helps you identify where the mail came from so that you can inform the server’s administrator that the server is being used to relay spam. To notify the administrator, you can send a message to postmaster@<domain>, where <domain> is the relaying mail server’s domain, such as [email protected]. Most ISPs also recognize an abuse mailbox, such as [email protected].
To view the full message header, right-click the message, and then choose Message Options to display the Message Options dialog box, shown in Figure 7-11. The message header appears in the Internet Headers box. You can select the text and press Ctrl+C to copy the text to the Clipboard for inclusion in a note or other message.
You can take several steps to reduce the amount of unsolicited e-mail you receive. See Chapter 12, for details about blocking spam and filtering messages.