Opened email with outlook on a different IP

[mophie]

I opened an outlook email from PayPal while on a different VPN ip and the account on that ip was limited just recently.

Here's the thing I CCleaner and other addons to disabled beacons, flash cookies and delete any super cookie, but not sure if that is enough can PayPal track you like this, immediately after opening the email I closed all browsers.

What are my chances?

[phaz0rz]

I'd put your survival chances around 90% as long as the two accounts had completely different details. ISP's commonly recycle IPv4 addresses (since there are no more "new" IPv4 addresses). So even completely legitimate sellers will sometimes have an IP that has been used by another seller previously. For that reason, they usually don't link users based solely on a common IP. Plus it sounds like you've already taken some anti-linking measures.

But only time will tell. Good luck!

[jackdanielsbtch]

wait paypal can't see if you open their emails in gmail can they?

[phaz0rz]

Originally Posted by jackdanielsbtch

wait paypal can't see if you open their emails in gmail can they?

If they really wanted to they could. Since they embed images in their emails that are hosted on their servers, they could get your IP that way. Disabling images and flash objects helps. I don't know if they put flash objects in their emails though.

[chao8378]

if disable the img display under gmail setting, does it mean its safe if we just open email using other IP?

[jackdanielsbtch]

wait, are you serious?

I've been opening paypal emails using my normal IP/computer to get the address when an item sells. And I'll log in my work computer once a week transfer money from paypal balance to bank account.

[phaz0rz]

Originally Posted by jackdanielsbtch

wait, are you serious?

I've been opening paypal emails using my normal IP/computer to get the address when an item sells. And I'll log in my work computer once a week transfer money from paypal balance to bank account.

It would be a serious pain in the butt for them to track you via embedded images in their emails, but it is possible. Every time one of their email images loads on your PC a record of your browser info, your IPv4 or IPv6 address, and a few other metrics are stored on Paypal's servers. They would have to be doing some serious investigating on you for them to go to those lengths.

A website owner can monitor all traffic that crosses their servers, if they so desired.