I use outlook 2003 and I am unable to edit emails. I have just tried to do so and when I deleted part of the email message the whole email disapeared.
That's a frustrating side-effect of how some email is encoded in HTML and how some email programs handle it. Yo may be able to make changes within only certain portions of the email, or other email programs may be able to make changes.
16-Sep-2009
audrey
September 15, 2009 11:57 AM
I was told that an e-mail in its electronic original has various codes that allow an expert to verifiy its origin and any alterations made after the original sender. For government disclosure requirements, and I expect any e-mail that will be used for legal purposes, the electronic version of the e-mail must be archived, not a printout.
Email can have those codes - digital signatures - but most do not.
16-Sep-2009
MissInformation
September 15, 2009 12:01 PM
Could you ask the person who originally sent the e-mails to show you the original e-mail, by logging into his “sent items” folder (in his e-mail account)? What do you think Leo, would an e-mail message in the “Sent items” folder be ‘proof’ enough of the original e-mail content, or can a person alter those also?
Those can also be altered.
16-Sep-2009
Cedric
September 15, 2009 12:18 PM
Any email can be modified, whether in Outlook 2003, in the sent folder or not. The procedure may change depending on the email program, but it can be done. As Leo mentioned, digital signing is one of the ways to ensure what you send stays what you want it to be! This is often required in legal and government situations.
Steve
September 16, 2009 6:39 AM
Sending an original email I can be who I like to the untrained eye. All I need to do is change "Name" under the account details and the "Reply To" address and I could be Barack Obama!
tex
October 26, 2009 5:07 AM
can the contents of a web mail be altered ?
if emails can be altered, why are they considered as evidence (e.g., Mark Sanford email to mistress - couldn't he have said it was altered )?
I think he would have had to prove it had been altered. Quite different, but as I often say: I'm no lawyer.
26-Oct-2009
DavidW
December 24, 2010 7:29 AM
Burden of proof remains with the prosecution, always.
Email should never be used as evidence. I'd love someone to try and take me to court over an email. I'd have a field day editing away, and it wouldn't change a thing in the email properties. :-)
christine
January 27, 2012 9:51 AM
Can the date an e-mail was sent be altered? If a person did not send a reply until you bugged them about it, can they create an e-mail with a previous date to make it look like they did respond to you?
Comments
Read the article that everyone's commenting on.
September 15, 2009 10:53 AM
I use outlook 2003 and I am unable to edit emails. I have just tried to do so and when I deleted part of the email message the whole email disapeared.
16-Sep-2009
September 15, 2009 11:57 AM
I was told that an e-mail in its electronic original has various codes that allow an expert to verifiy its origin and any alterations made after the original sender. For government disclosure requirements, and I expect any e-mail that will be used for legal purposes, the electronic version of the e-mail must be archived, not a printout.
16-Sep-2009
September 15, 2009 12:01 PM
Could you ask the person who originally sent the e-mails to show you the original e-mail, by logging into his “sent items” folder (in his e-mail account)? What do you think Leo, would an e-mail message in the “Sent items” folder be ‘proof’ enough of the original e-mail content, or can a person alter those also?
16-Sep-2009
September 15, 2009 12:18 PM
Any email can be modified, whether in Outlook 2003, in the sent folder or not. The procedure may change depending on the email program, but it can be done. As Leo mentioned, digital signing is one of the ways to ensure what you send stays what you want it to be! This is often required in legal and government situations.
September 16, 2009 6:39 AM
Sending an original email I can be who I like to the untrained eye. All I need to do is change "Name" under the account details and the "Reply To" address and I could be Barack Obama!
October 26, 2009 5:07 AM
can the contents of a web mail be altered ?
if emails can be altered, why are they considered as evidence (e.g., Mark Sanford email to mistress - couldn't he have said it was altered )?
26-Oct-2009
December 24, 2010 7:29 AM
Burden of proof remains with the prosecution, always.
Email should never be used as evidence. I'd love someone to try and take me to court over an email. I'd have a field day editing away, and it wouldn't change a thing in the email properties. :-)
January 27, 2012 9:51 AM
Can the date an e-mail was sent be altered? If a person did not send a reply until you bugged them about it, can they create an e-mail with a previous date to make it look like they did respond to you?
28-Jan-2012
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