Email OSINT

An email is a high-value selector: it links accounts, appears in breaches, and often encodes a name. Input: one or more email addresses. Never send email to the target as a research technique.

Step 1 — Authorized scope

Read ../../ETHICS.md. Note the objective. Done when noted.

Step 2 — Validate & parse

Confirm the address is real without messaging it: MX records for the domain, SMTP/API validation services, and Gravatar (https://gravatar.com/avatar/<md5> — an existing avatar confirms use and often shows a photo/name). Parse the local-part for a likely name pattern (first.last, flast). Done when the address is graded valid/invalid/unknown and the name guess is noted.

Step 3 — Find linked accounts