Do You Need a Subpoena To Trace An Email Account To The Owner ?
There is a lot of incorrect information about email tracing floating around the Internet. Many times when a person asks how to locate or identify the owner of an email account they are told it's impossible without a search warrant, court order or subpoena. This is simply incorrect. Many times trained private investigators have traced emails back to the owner without the benefit of the courts. Then after they have identified the owner they simply reduce the details of their investigation to a report that can be used in civil litigation or a criminal investigation. When their report is presented to law enforcement many times they can duplicate the steps of the investigation and get the exact same results.
Other times the PI can trace an email address back to a web site or financial transaction where the owner of the email has been verified already. The email address is actually connected to the owners bank account or credit card. Sometimes they have even received a delivery to their home or business that is directly connected to the email address being investigating. Even signing for the delivery. So all a private investigator has to do is document this information and the attorneys or law enforcement in the case can take that identifying information and go forward from there. It's all verifiable by third parties without the need for a warrant or subpoena.
In some cases the owner of an email can be contacted and identifying information can be obtained about their computer and ISP. This information can be compared to suspects and in some cases an exact match can be made that would be specific enough that it could be used to make an exact identification. At the very least that stage of the investigation can exclude suspects and narrow down the scope of the investigation. Saving valuable time and money to the client. Also many times the subject of the investigation can be lured into a trap where they not only identify themselves but demonstrate that they are the owner of the email account but also that they are using the email account for unlawful or illegal purposes. This can also be documents by the investigator and presented to law enforcement.
Of course there are many other avenues available to an investigator that should not be revealed in a public article. Doing so would just make it easier for the bad guys to cover their tracks. The information listed here is just the tip of the iceberg and only a fraction of the ways to trace an email account to the owner without a subpoena or court order.