The world has come closer to each of us through the click of a button. “The world” is slowly being replaced with a “Globally Connected Ambit.” All you need is a computer or a smartphone with good internet connectivity. Additionally, everybody likes to socialize, bond, or build a romantic affair, and anyone would love to have an intimate connection with someone special. Unfortunately, some of us are gullible enough to fall for the trending Skype , instagram and facebook scams.
There has also been a sharp rise in Skype scams in recent years. Especially originating from mobile apps like Tinder, one of the massively used dating apps which allows people to choose their dates best based on their preferences. Unfortunately, Tinder has contributed the most to the vulnerability of Skype fraud victims.
With many glued to their smartphones and computers, spending hours together in the virtual world, scammers lure in their victims and start blackmailing them.
IN THIS ARTICLE
What are Skype Scams?
Many Skype scammers today work out of Asia, Russia, Morocco, rather than the real Skype headquarters located in Luxembourg. They search for married males on Facebook, Linkedin, or Twitter to get as much personal information as possible. After adding you on these social media platforms, they will then search for your name on Skype. They use a reasonably straightforward idea. Through the use of recorded cam sessions of internet escorts undressing, they may make you believe that you are interacting with an attractive woman. They intend to make you undress in front of the camera, record it, and then either demand money from you or blackmail you stating that they will send the footage to your friends and relatives.
Most Common Skype Scams
Since 2003, Skype has been a renowned platform for video chatting. Its usage for international communication is relatively widespread. While many con artists strive to stay away from video chats, numerous scams still happen on this widely used medium. Many have fallen victim to Skype video message scams.
Skype (or Skype Technologies) is an additional means of communication alongside the other features on the internet like text messaging and social media. Through voice conversations, video chat, and instant messaging, the telecommunications program Skype links users (IM).
There are a few frauds you should watch out for on Skype. In this article, we’ll describe some Skype frauds with a skype scammer list to help you recognize and prevent them.
Skype Automated Message Scam:
This was one of the first and most popular Skype frauds, which is still prevalent, though their techniques have been refined and adapted to the latest social conditions. Scammers are impersonating a Tech Support from renowned tech giant- Microsoft. These scammers will ring you up using automated messages under the guise of repairing or upgrading software on your computer.
You will get a call from these scammers pretending to be software engineers, and they will prompt you to download a software. Unfortunately, these scammers are smart, and they know that most people are not tech savvy, they will portray regular system notifications as a sign of a problem.
The aim of these scammers is simple: they want to gain access to your computer and have total control of your device.
Malware Targeting Traveling and Employment Sectors:
These are the latest and most sophisticated malware campaigns on Skype. In this scam, a malware prompts you to download softwares that will allow these scammers to download all the sensitive data stored on your computer.
Many wish to explore the world and are searching for a good travel deal that will help them save their money and fulfill their travel plans. There are many adverts on Skype giving a good deal for those interested in exploring other countries. But, unfortunately, most of these adverts are fake and dangerous.
These adverts are flashy and clicking on them will take you to a website link where you are prompted to download a “software.” The so-called “software” is, in fact, malware that will give the scammers unlimited control of your computer.
Although these scams were more prevalent in the past, they have gained tremendous momentum post-pandemic era. As a result, many have lost jobs and are trying for an alternate source of income. The ever-growing inflation is also another concern for them, making their day-to-day life full of struggles.
Desperate to seek employment, many clicks on adverts promising employment. Most of these adverts are malware. Once you click on the advert, you are taken to a link prompting you to fill in the details. Once you have submitted your data, scammers have unlimited access to your sensitive information, which is then used against you.
The problem with these malwares is that your anti-virus software cannot detect them. Thus these softwares can be dangerous.
Sextortion Scams: Your Worst Nightmare
The idea that a stranger has sexually explicit films and pictures of you, is threatening. In this blackmail skype scam, the scammer intimidates you by asserting that they will broadcast your sexual content on social media or send them to all of your loved ones unless you pay a ransom. They use social media sources to lure in their victims and execute blackmail Skype scams through Instagram, Snapchat, or Facebook. Once their victim is drawn in and is caught in the act, these scammers will then blackmail using Skype.
Sextortion is the term for such a practice. A young Palestinian man (let’s call him “Abed”) who was a foreign resident accepted a stranger’s friend request on Facebook. They started communicating after becoming Facebook friends. First, they had a sex talk and then switched to Skype. Once they got there, they proceeded with the sexually explicit talk, with it eventually intensifying, and culminating. Soon after it was all over, Abed was contacted. He found out that he was being recorded and was soon threatened that his friends and family would receive the footage.
It turns out that Abed was being catfished the entire time. Abed offered to pay him over $6,000 in exchange for his silence (5,000 euros). On the other hand, the scammer most likely downloaded the pornographic movie from a website and decided to play it throughout the Skype conversation. Although your initial reaction might be to think Abed was a fool for falling for the con, sextortion occurs more frequently than you might expect. Men and women are equally affected by this crime.
Although these types of frauds target teenagers, they can happen to men and women of all ages on various platforms.
How to Spot Skype Scams?
Search Scammer’s Images and social media on Google
Always verify the authenticity of someone’s social media profile before speaking to them on Skype if you haven’t met them in person. Additionally, you can download their profile photo, upload it to the Google image search bar, and conduct a search to see whether it is used elsewhere online, which can help you identify whether you are being catfished.
Avoid sharing your bank and other financial details with a stranger
It’s undeniably a scam if someone asks for your sensitive details. Never provide anyone with your financial information on Skype, including your bank account or credit card data. For example click here.
Avoid entertaining strangers on Skype
As we already discussed, scammers frequently utilize Facebook or other social networking sites to convince their victims into speaking on Skype. Therefore, if a stranger adds you on Facebook and skype spams you, be VERY skeptical of them. This is especially true if they say they’re seeking love or a relationship through you. Skype dating scams are when these scammers reach out to you on Skype, making it look as though they are in love with you or want to date you, eventually leading to a fraud.
Utilize Skype for video calling
In general, scammers favor text-based chat over video chat since it allows them to hide their identities. These scammers indulge in Skype video scams by playing pre-recorded films to make it appear as though you are speaking to a gorgeous woman or someone else, but they turn off the audio and make up an excuse for it.
How To Avoid Skype Scams?
- Regardless of how tempting it may be, only communicate with people you know. It’s doubtful why a total stranger would add you to Skype or send you a message if they didn’t know you.
- Avoid taking a chance if someone contacts you on a different network, like Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, or Kik, then pesters you with skype video message spams.
- Often if someone or something on Skype (or the internet in general!) looks too good to be true, it is a matter to be concerned about.
- Before utilizing the internet, update any security or malware programs.
- Understand that you put yourself at risk if you start striping online. It’s hard to know if you’re being secretly videotaped for sextortion.
- Always remember that many fabricate internet personas to represent themselves as someone they are not.
- Never click on any phishing links that take you to a bogus website.
- Your name, address, employment information, etc., should remain private.
- Don’t blame yourself if you were scammed on skype. Numerous users experience it each day.
How to get your money back from a Skype Scam?
Yes! If you qualify Skype’s Terms of Use relating to refunds then you may be eligible for a Skype refund.
Refunds are issued using the same mode of payment as the original transaction. However, Skype cannot process the refund if the original payment method is no longer valid. For example, if your credit card has expired, your PayPal account has been closed, or the payment method does not support refunds.
Refunds for Skype can be issued for:
- Active subscriptions that haven’t expired or been used.
- If the refund is claimed within 14 days of the purchase.
- Technical difficulties that are attributed to Skype.
- If a third party has seized control of your account, to be used fraudulently.
- Erroneous charges if you let the Skype support center know within 90 days of your transaction. Charges that are more than 90 days old cannot be refunded.
- Refunds outside of the EU’s 14-day window are at Skype’s discretion.
What to do if you are a victim of a Skype Scam?
Inform the Federal Trade Commission about the scam.
The federal agency that handles scams in the US is the Federal Trade Commission or FTC. So the first step after being conned on Skype if you reside in the US is to report the fraud to them. If you reside elsewhere, use Google to find out how to report Skype fraud.
Delete the User
Stop communication with the con artists as soon as you understand you were duped and block their accounts. This will shield you from further harm. If you fall victim to a Skype Scam, get in touch with Financial Fund Recovery, the money-back specialists, for a free consultation to recover what is legally yours.
As Skype scams are rampant, there are chances that you may become a victim and may find it challenging to recover your funds. But there is still a chance to recover your funds within 120 days if you were to go with experts at Financial Fund Recovery.
We at Financial Fund Recovery make it a point that you recover your funds within 120 days. We have seasoned experts who will strive to fight for your rights while you take a back seat.