A system and method for detecting and selectively preventing the forwarding of an electronic message, wherein the message is sent by a sender to a recipient, and wherein the message has a message body and a message header. The system comprises a wireless gateway in communication with an electronic mail client; a message database in communication with the gateway for storing a first message identifier associated with the electronic message; and a search module in communication with the message database for determining whether a second message identifier associated with a forwarded electronic message is contained in the message database and, if the message database contains the second message identifier, preventing forwarding of the forwarded message.