AIM web based e-mail is considered by many to be one of the best free web based e-mail services on the World Wide Web. It hasn't gotten as much press as the "big three" (Hotmail, Yahoo, Gmail) but it still boasts plenty of users and was given a high rating by About.com. AIM unlimited online mail storage plus POP and IMAP access.



Everyone knows the benefits of using a web based e-mail service. Most of these services are free of charge, anonymous and are far more convenient than the e-mail addresses that will be supplied to you by your Internet provider. This is because, in this day and age, people appreciate the ability to check their e-mail from any Internet service and on any computer. Web based e-mail offers people that option. But these are also options that a cyber stalker would find attractive when trying to conceal his true identity from his victims.

These online stalkers will create an e-mail account with AIM or one of the other web mail services with the intent of sending harassing "anonymous" e-mail or Instant Massages (IMs) to someone else.

If you have been receiving unwanted e-mail or IMs from an AIM e-mail address there are several steps you can take:

1. Find out if AIM provides a reverse e-mail search service and then use it to find out who has opened the AIM account from which your unwanted e-mail has been sent. This should always be your first step because AIM will have an easier time searching its own records than an outside search engine will have in getting access to the records' information.

2. Do a search with any of the major search engines to find web-based reverse e-mail searches. There are a large number of companies out there that offer this service. It might take a few (or many) tries to get the information you want but if you keep trying you will increase the odds of finding out who has been sending you the unwanted e-mail that has been polluting your in box. Don't give up—the longer you search, the better your chances become of finding out what you want to know.

3. If the unwanted e-mail has been especially malicious, you might want to consider hiring a professional to find out who is on the other end of the e-mail address that has been harassing you. A professional will know how to get the information that you need. You should also consider contacting AIM's support team yourself to report the malicious e-mail. AIM might be able to suspend the account or help you take legal action against the e-mail sender. But keep in mind that if AIM closes the account it will make it much harder for an investigator to trace the AIM email and identify the sender.

When it comes to doing reverse e-mail searches, whether you need to find the owner of a AIM e-mail account or a different web based e-mail address the key is to keep at it. Don't give up; you'll find what you are looking for! If you think it's too complicated you can always retain a professional that specializes in email tracing.