Skype phone spam

[alicebentley]

Very interesting.

Earlier this week I signed up for Skype to better chat with the folks on the new project I'm working on. And just now my laptop burbled that I had an incoming Skype call from "Online Service". I didn't hit the -answer- button, 'cause I was still trying to figure out who "Online Service" might be when ...
my phone rang. It was "Online Service" calling. This time I did pick up, somewhat curious that the Skype laptop program and the Skype app were so closely linked. I listened to a robot voice excitedly telling me that a virus had been detected on my computer, affection (a whole bunch of Microsoft programs that I don't have) and that I needed to go to [probably bogus] website and download the patch. Yeah, I don't think so.

But it does surprise me that Skype is so open to this sort of abuse. I'm not bothered, just surprised.

Anyone else get phone spam through here?

Comments

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

First I've heard of it.

K.

[gerisullivan.livejournal.com]

A year or two ago, an apparent spammer asked to share contact info with me, but I've never received a spammish phone call on Skype, or on my landline originating from anything I recognized as being related to Skype.

I've used Skype Out for all of my non-cell phone calls for most of a year now, and have been using Skype to communicate with other Skype users for more years than I can easily remember.

Your experience with "Online Service" surprises me, too.