How can I find out who hacked my email?

Both my AOL and Gmail accounts have been broken into by someone changing the passwords Sarah Palin-style (answering my security question correctly, then getting access to the Gmail acct by sending a "forgot password" link to the AOL account). I currently cannot sign into either of them as the person changed the password. This happened a year ago with a yahoo account and a different aol account. I think I know who did it then but I don't know if it's the same person now. I abandoned the old aol account and made this new one that now got compromised.





I think I know who did it, will aol and Google tell me the IP address that accessed the accounts?





Should I try and steal them back or just abandon it?





Also, what legal action can I take?

How can I find out who hacked my email?
I would just abandon them, because it is unlikely anyone will help you, but it is always possible.





I don't understand why if it happened before, you did not put in false info that you can remember, and really off the wall security answers.... that way they can not use that technique.
Reply:Contact the service provider (AOL, Yahoo, etc.) and report it. They can get your account back.





Also, don't use lame passwords and avoid setting up a security question, if possible. If you have to set up a security question, "sd4t4jFDH7hgsd8f788878dsfh" is a good answer for it. (Don't use that actual one).
Reply:read this link below this well help you know what is going on with the web base e-mails like alo gmail and yahoo,



Reply:Well, there is an anti-stupid people way to try to solve that, which has very few probability of working really.





First of all, ask the contacts you had on your account if they received any e-mail from you and if they still have them. If they say they have received and have them saved, tell them to look at the source code of the message and tell you the ip of the person. With the IP it's much easier to discover who is it.





If they have received any e-mail, but do not have them, send a mail to your account. A challenging message is cooler since hackers and lammers like to be challenged, so they'll probably answer you. When they do, look at the source code.





As i told you, that technique is for n00b test, and if the guy is really careful, he will be behind what is called a proxy, so it won't work.





My best alternative for you is to contact AOL and Gmail and explain them the situation. They won't tell you who was it, but they might help you to recover your account.





Well, you can steal it back, but it might be very difficult... and after you get it back, i'm 100% sure that the person will try to hack it again. So if you really want your account back, i suggest you to invent a super password and a very long and difficult question ONLY YOU know the answer ;)