Someone has been reading my Gmail messages - can I find out who?

[WithoutAPaddle]

That's it, really. Looked at Gmail this morning to find a number of messages marked read - but I haven't been on Gmail for a week or so. Also noticed that someone has accessed my account last night with an IP I don't recognise - shows as Edinburgh in one one look up, Aberdeen in another (I am in SW England).
What can I do now?

I don't think you can find out who - but change your password to something long and complicated before they do

Consider deleting your account or at least change your password.

Do you have up to date security on all computers you are using?

Could it be someone you know?

Don't really know anyone in Scotland at least, no one who I have been in contact with recently. I wondered if there was a way of getting more accurate information for the IP address - so far the looups (for same IP address) have given two locations - is ther any way of judging which is most accurate? Or narrowing the location down a bit?

sorry, looups = location look-ups

I can't help you with the technical stuff but just a warning of what happened with my yahoo account. Started with some of my messages being read, didn't think anything of it as DP has access to my account (we share it). Then someone changed my password! So I tried to go through the memorable questions to get in, and they had also been changed. My memorable questions are always the same and they had been changed to things I certainly would not have set, one being what is the name of your favourite niece. I didn't have a niece untill a long time after the account was set up, and even so I put her name in just incase I was losing my mind and that wasn't the answer.
Yahoo couldn't/wouldn't do anything about it so that account is written off along with the only contact details of a lot of my contacts!

I would advise you at the very least take down your contact list incase something similar happens to your account.

I also went through and changed my access details to everything - every online shop etc which took an age but I wasn't sure what anyone who had access to my emails could find out and since I stupidly don't delete email very often there were over 4000 in there with password confirmations for shops etc.

Thankfully nothing more happened - no online fraud etc so I have no idea what the whole thing is about but it was a huge inconvienence none the less.

Have changed my password - think I will try to write down all my contact details and then close account down - hadn't thought of the possibility of someone accessing orher details. What a PITA.

Is there really no way of finding out who it could be? Some of the mails were a bit personal - I don't like to think of person(s) unknown reading them.

The IP location often refers to the location of the server and not necessarily to the location of the computer.

For example, my ip address shows up a location for Milton Keynes and I am at the other end of the country. So I suspects it's the server that's located there.

Sounds like you've been hacked and it could be a person located anywhere in the UK.

Change your password, notify gmail and also check whether any personal information has been divulged in any emails you have sent or received?

Ok, thanks all. I guess I'll never find out. Password changed for something more difficult and account will be deleted as soon as possible.

IP address location is not that accurate, sometimes it can be close but it can also be way off the truth. You can look up who owns the IP address using a site like this: cqcounter.com/whois/

That may give you some clues if it comes back as a particular company or ISP.

It's likely that whoever read your mail would have been looking for account details and passwords etc - I doubt they would have paid much attention to any personal conversations (they may not even speak English) but I know it's not much comfort to you