What if the sender used a VPN, relay or anonymiser?

Determined senders sometimes route their mail through a VPN, an anonymising relay or a similar intermediary to hide where they really are. Here is what that means for your report.

• The trace resolves to the intermediary — the true originating IP will be that of the VPN or relay, and the location will reflect its server rather than the person.
• The report identifies when such a service is in play, which is itself useful: it shows the message was deliberately concealed, and it names the provider of the anonymising service.
• That provider may itself hold records tying the connection back to a customer — which is where a complaint or a request from the authorities can pick up the trail.

So an anonymiser does not make a report pointless. It establishes intent to hide, identifies the next link in the chain, and gives the authorities a specific service and time to pursue.