My Skype Account Was Hacked.

[padeakin]

I was a regular user of Skype, very happy to phone the UK from Thailand for only a few pence, until someone accessed my account and used all my credit.

I can see that someone used all my credit to phone numbers in Africa, so I contactred Skype, Skype customer services would only confirm that my account had been accessed, they would not give any information as to; who? when? where? hiding behind the data protection act, "we cannot disclose this information". I cannot find any security problems on my computer from which I used Skype. I have a strong password. Internet searches revaeal a number of people that have had the same problem, so I suspect the secutrity breach happened at the Skype servers, (IE. someone accessed their database).

They will not refund my credit, or give any information, I am disappointed by the lack of support, they are simply saying it is your problem not ours, so I am no longer a Skype customer, and am warning others about Skype. Any recomendations of a more secure alternative?

[Crossy]

My dad had a similar problem last year, someone accessed his account whilst he was on holiday (I wondered why he never responded to my chats over that period). Anyway, Skype would not refund his credit, but Visa did refund the automatic reloads that the miscreant used up too.

We never got to the bottom of how dad's log on credentials were compromised.

[fredlk]

Same here. Hacked and then they used my Paypal account to credit it.

Paypal wouldn't help. Skype wouldn't help, but the credit card associated with the Paypal account was refunded.

I closed my Paypal account. I closed my Skype account and opened a new one on which I only make free calls and will never again upload any payment information.

[stoneyboy]

Personally I've never had a problem but can understand your dissatisfaction when something such as this arises,I subscribe to the world package which allows me unlimited landline calls to UK it's only a tenner a month which I find reasonable as the service is extremely good,I've never had bad connections or the like.

The other thing I find strange is that they are able to access your personal payment details,I use my UK credit card to pay and this in turn uses the Verified by Visa password verification system,I've never had one problem with online payments with this extra security in place.

[aarn]

Similar to my experience, skype automatically debited my paypal twice for a sensational night's telephonic activity to Somalia, six months ago. I politely whinged to Skype, and extinguished the 'automatic account top-up' feature. About 10 days later, the money was refunded to paypal. AA

[MEL1]

I really think this isn't anything to do with servers being at fault. I, indeed, think it thoroughly depends upon which internet security suite you use, and how vulnerable your pc/laptop is.

I taught a grade 9 student who was a genius with computers, as there are many in Thailand. He hacked AVG security, as I watched him do it. I asked him to show me. (He was later expelled for hacking the school system and obtaining exam papers!). However, he went into AVG itself, changed some settings and then hacked his friends laptop on the next table. He could have obtained any info used on that laptop.

I had used AVG for three years, without thinking I ever had a problem, but I did have problems and it is just that AVG could/didn't warn me about them. It doesn't have that facility, or didn't when I last used it. I changed to Kaspersky, and never had a problem. But Kaspersky goes so deep into your computer it really slows operation times down. I settled for Panda Global Suite - THIS I WOULD RECOMMEND TO ALL. It tells you when a hacker is hacking you, and also gives you the IP address, from which you can use other internet programs to get a location.

Panda is probably the best anti-hackproof system available and isn't too expensive. I really would ask that you investigate and consider carefully, assuming you have had problems that is, the security suite you use. AVG is not as good as people say it is, Norton is the most hacked, and others just don't do things that you may think they do.

I am no salesman for Panda or Kaspersky, but they are the two best available currently. I just responded because I do know what it feels like to 'feel' vulnerable online.

B/R

-mel.

[MEL1]

I really think this isn't anything to do with servers being at fault. I, indeed, think it thoroughly depends upon which internet security suite you use, and how vulnerable your pc/laptop is.

I taught a grade 9 student who was a genius with computers, as there are many in Thailand. He hacked AVG security, as I watched him do it. I asked him to show me. (He was later expelled for hacking the school system and obtaining exam papers!). However, he went into AVG itself, changed some settings and then hacked his friends laptop on the next table. He could have obtained any info used on that laptop.

I had used AVG for three years, without thinking I ever had a problem, but I did have problems and it is just that AVG could/didn't warn me about them. It doesn't have that facility, or didn't when I last used it. I changed to Kaspersky, and never had a problem. But Kaspersky goes so deep into your computer it really slows operation times down. I settled for Panda Global Suite - THIS I WOULD RECOMMEND TO ALL. It tells you when a hacker is hacking you, and also gives you the IP address, from which you can use other internet programs to get a location.

Panda is probably the best anti-hackproof system available and isn't too expensive. I really would ask that you investigate and consider carefully, assuming you have had problems that is, the security suite you use. AVG is not as good as people say it is, Norton is the most hacked, and others just don't do things that you may think they do.

I am no salesman for Panda or Kaspersky, but they are the two best available currently. I just responded because I do know what it feels like to 'feel' vulnerable online.

B/R

-mel.

I forgot to add, of course, that Panda automatically blocks the hacker, or gives a choice - if you are using a remote log in.

-mel.

[fredlk]

I really think this isn't anything to do with servers being at fault. I, indeed, think it thoroughly depends upon which internet security suite you use, and how vulnerable your pc/laptop is.

My Mac was not hacked. It is well-protected. The fault was on the Skype side where the hackers either obtained my (complicated) password or got in without one.

Once they were in they updated my password so that I couldn't log on.

Edited February 21, 2012 by fredlk

[JAS21]

Beware of any tottie sending a message 'please add me' and then sending their photo to you.

[Tafia]

Mine too was hacked, Skype kindly didnt charge me for the amount taken.

Change your password on a regular basis using Higher and lower case mixed with numbers.

Dont sign up for automatic re crediting.

Edited February 21, 2012 by Tafia

[rakman]

Seems this happens more than it should.

helpful link:

http://www.ticproblemsolver.com/skype_account_hacked/

Be persistent, especially with credit card companies or PayPal.

Apparently, Skype doesn't care much about customer service.

It seems Skype's official postion it's the client's computer that's been hacked, not Skype itself. Seems like there have been hundreds if not thousands of Skype account hacking. That would lead me to belive Skype has some serious security issues, including multiple logons to the same account allowed.

If you use Skype, don't allow auto-top-off of your account to limit losses at the least.

While a difficult password may make you feel secure, the longer (and more special characters, numbers, caps and lower case letters) the password, the more secure it is. There are some cases where using a phrase with nominal key substition isn't as secure, though.

Use at your own risk.

[padeakin]

I really think this isn't anything to do with servers being at fault. I, indeed, think it thoroughly depends upon which internet security suite you use, and how vulnerable your pc/laptop is.

I taught a grade 9 student who was a genius with computers, as there are many in Thailand. He hacked AVG security, as I watched him do it. I asked him to show me. (He was later expelled for hacking the school system and obtaining exam papers!). However, he went into AVG itself, changed some settings and then hacked his friends laptop on the next table. He could have obtained any info used on that laptop.

I had used AVG for three years, without thinking I ever had a problem, but I did have problems and it is just that AVG could/didn't warn me about them. It doesn't have that facility, or didn't when I last used it. I changed to Kaspersky, and never had a problem. But Kaspersky goes so deep into your computer it really slows operation times down. I settled for Panda Global Suite - THIS I WOULD RECOMMEND TO ALL. It tells you when a hacker is hacking you, and also gives you the IP address, from which you can use other internet programs to get a location.

Panda is probably the best anti-hackproof system available and isn't too expensive. I really would ask that you investigate and consider carefully, assuming you have had problems that is, the security suite you use. AVG is not as good as people say it is, Norton is the most hacked, and others just don't do things that you may think they do.

I am no salesman for Panda or Kaspersky, but they are the two best available currently. I just responded because I do know what it feels like to 'feel' vulnerable online.

B/R

-mel.

Connecting to someone else's computer that is on the same network, and turning off their security software is relatively easy, but to access a computer that is behind a firewall, and then find and decode an encrypted strong password is not so easy. I believe it is most likely to be a problem with someone accessing the Skype servers or intercepting and decoding the password somewhere on route, it was very unlikely to have problem with my security suit. Anyway this is exactly why Skype should be more helpful and honest, it would be easy for them to tell me from which IP address the connection was made when the fraudulent use occurred. With so many people having the same problem, I believe there are some serious security issues with Skype. If anyone wants to risk using it, I would recommend that they keep their credit balance to a minimum.