Skype account opened under my hotmail without me knowing?

[cave hermit]

So, I was cleaning out my inbox, when I noticed I got an email last July confirming a skype name registration; the thing is, I never used skype, and I barely know what it is. Apparently the registered name was just "live:[my email address here]", and the email implied I already created a password to be used for the sign in. So, should I be worred that someone hacked my account, or did Microsoft auto register my account for skype? Does anyone else have hotmail/live mail and remember getting an email like that?

*before anyone says it, I have anxiety issues*

[Friendly]

Come on, son. That is probably a spam email containing a fake link for you to click in order to infect your computer with malware. Never got one of this before? New to computers and the internet?

[cave hermit]

Well, the email isn't trying to get me to click on anything (although there are a lot of links to learn more); it's basically telling me to install skype and then try logging in. I also got a second email asking me to start a skype premium trial.

[cave hermit]

I also noticed that the links point to "my.email.skype.com", but clicking on them leads to error pages claiming they couldn't load.

[cave hermit]

Apparently that domain was used for phishing, but the email seems legit, cross checking the real skype site says that the registered name the email claims is used if I registered using my email account. I'm really freaked out now.

[Eno]

Either phishing or reverse identity theft, I'd guess.

[shmuppyLove]

Well, Microsoft did discontinue their Messenger service. I think the accounts were converted to Skype accounts.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-ca/mess ... r-to-skype

[RegalSin]

MSN is still around......in non english speaking nations. Yahoo and other places are basically invading your privacy. The internet we knew and loved is a like a ghost town, with a bunch of traitors mixing in. The internet we knew and love is practically dead. We are just dealing with the aftermath.

It is like dealing with the cable company, storage facility, or car dealership. They sucker everybody, from old to young.

[Kaiser]

MSN is still around......in non english speaking nations. Yahoo and other places are basically invading your privacy. The internet we knew and loved is a like a ghost town, with a bunch of traitors mixing in. The internet we knew and love is practically dead. We are just dealing with the aftermath.

It is like dealing with the cable company, storage facility, or car dealership. They sucker everybody, from old to young.

Go get banned (and bent) you tin foil conspirationist. All you post lately is crap that would be best taken elsewhere and makes people angry due how stupid it is. Take your stuff to 4chan, it would be more fitting there.

On topic, yeah MSN's dead normally but somehow it's still working in non english speaking nations. I already switched to skype when I could so I don't look back. Plus mails which fake real e-mail addresses, aren't that uncommon.

[BareKnuckleRoo]

Is your email account you use for hotmail something a name or something that could easily be typo'd? It's entirely possible that someone was legitimately signing up for a Skype account with an email address that's very similar to yours, but made a spelling mistake in their email address that happened to make the account under your address instead . I'd be an innocent mistake in that case (ignore, disable the Skype account, email them telling you didn't sign up or whatever).

It could easily be a phishing email if it asks you to log in or buy something. You can always contact Skype and they can see the IP of whoever signed up for it I'm sure to see if it was possibly just a mistake on someone else's part.

[trap15]

Go get banned (and bent) you tin foil conspirationist. All you post lately is crap that would be best taken elsewhere and makes people angry due how stupid it is. Take your stuff to 4chan, it would be more fitting there.

No no no no! He's fucking hilarious! You can't ban him!

[drauch]

Go get banned (and bent) you tin foil conspirationist. All you post lately is crap that would be best taken elsewhere and makes people angry due how stupid it is. Take your stuff to 4chan, it would be more fitting there.

No no no no! He's fucking hilarious! You can't ban him!

RegalSin is life!

[Ixmucane2]

I have a very common name and surname, and at myname.mysurname@gmail.com (not to mention other addresses) I've become a victim of more "reverse identity theft" cases that I care to count, including an account at a dating site, signing up for various courses and conferences, C&D letters over strange businesses, and embarrassing personal messages from less than balanced people of both sexes.

[Specineff]

MSN is still around......in non english speaking nations. Yahoo and other places are basically invading your privacy. The internet we knew and loved is a like a ghost town, with a bunch of traitors mixing in. The internet we knew and love is practically dead. We are just dealing with the aftermath.

It is like dealing with the cable company, storage facility, or car dealership. They sucker everybody, from old to young.

So go grab your Pursuit Special and drive into the Outback to dispense some brutal justice already, oh Armchair Warrior.

[cave hermit]

Is your email account you use for hotmail something a name or something that could easily be typo'd? It's entirely possible that someone was legitimately signing up for a Skype account with an email address that's very similar to yours, but made a spelling mistake in their email address that happened to make the account under your address instead . I'd be an innocent mistake in that case (ignore, disable the Skype account, email them telling you didn't sign up or whatever).

It could easily be a phishing email if it asks you to log in or buy something. You can always contact Skype and they can see the IP of whoever signed up for it I'm sure to see if it was possibly just a mistake on someone else's part.

my hotmail address is my last name (which is a bizarrely unpronounceable Indian surname) combined with a certain dessert, so I don't think its reverse identity theft. Also apparently a friend who also used hotmail got this exact same email with "live:[email address here]" as his skype name, so I'm gonna assume that everyone who used hotmail was auto registered.

[Sly Cherry Chunks]

Saw a post on Facebook this morning, warning against this scam. So it's not just you OP.

[cave hermit]

This is really freaking me out; Do I just ignore this? The links in the emails and most of the pictures were broken, so...

[BPzeBanshee]

Broken pictures usually suggest scams. There's been a few Apple ID ones that look like that that seem official lately too. I'd ignore it myself.