Did you know that your Skype account can get hacked? I know, you’re thinking who would want to hack into your Skype account but trust me this is happening to people a lot. It’s not just Skype you need to worry about.
I’m going to explain everything in an easy-to-understand way and show you how to tell if your Skype account is hacked. I’ll explain how this is possible, what to look out for, and what to do if your Skype gets hacked.
No one wants to think that their Skype account has been hacked. But for some people, this is a reality. And it can be hard to tell if your Skype account has been hacked unless you know what to look for!
Let’s get started.
Can Skype Get Hacked?
Yes, your Skype account can get hacked and it is more common than you might think. There are three main ways your account can be compromised:
Through a public data breach – this would happen when a company or website that your Skype account has given information to gets hacked. This can be anywhere from an email hosting service to a social networking site. The Skype servers themselves could even get hacked.
A Phishing attack – This is when a hacker tricks you into thinking they are someone else and asks for your details. Phishing is usually done through emails but variations include Smishing (by SMS text) and Vishing (by Voice calls).
They all work to try to convince you to give up your usernames and passwords for different accounts including Skype. If you fall for a phishing attack a hacker can easily access your Skype account.
Through Phone hacking – If your phone is hacked, they can gain access to everything on your phone including passwords. The most common method of phone hacking is the easiest – by installing a spy app.
I have written extensively about phone spy apps on this site so be sure to check out some of my guides and learn what these apps are capable of. They are very powerful and can easily hack your Skype account. I have an article covering how to hack someone’s Skype – it will give you a great understanding of how this can work.
Signs Your Skype Has Been Hacked
It can be difficult to know if your Skype has been hacked, depending on how the hack has occurred. General hacking methods such as a data breach or Phishing attack would normally lead to your account being taken over by the hacker. This will leave certain clues.
There are some warning signs that can tip you off of whether your Skype account has been compromised. Here are some signs for you to look out for:
- Your Skype contacts list is full of unfamiliar names.
- You haven’t received a call or message from someone that you were expecting or they tell you that you are unavailable. This could be because your account has been taken over by someone else.
- You are not getting notifications when someone is trying to contact you or when there is a new chat request. Someone else could have taken over your Skype account and changed your settings so you will never know if anyone tries to interact with you.
- You receive an unexpected message from Skype saying that they are “investigating unusual activity” on your account. This is a warning that something suspicious has happened on your account.
If you are receiving any of the above signs, there is a good chance that your Skype account has been compromised. Don’t worry though, all is not lost! I will cover some things you can do if your Skype account has been hacked below.
Signs Your Phone Has Been Hacked
As I mentioned the easiest way to hack your Skype is for someone to hack your phone. They could also hack your computer to gain access to your account but most people are using Skype on their smartphones today.
I have several phone security articles covering signs your cell phone is hacked, how to detect spy apps, and can someone hack your phone remotely. Use these along with this article to learn more.
If your phone has been hacked look out for some or all of these signs:
- Are you not receiving all your calls and texts?
- Is your battery running out faster than normal?
- Changes in your phone behavior – restarting all the time for example
- Is your phone feeling hot regularly?
- Electronic interference during calls
- Strange pop-ups on your device
- Are you getting password change notifications all the time?
These are just some of the signs your phone might have been hacked. If you are getting several of these signs it is likely that your phone has been compromised. Don’t worry I cover some things you can do about it below.
Can you use a code to see if your phone is tapped or hacked? – I have a detailed article about that, I tested several USSD codes that are supposed to help. Have a look and find out how they worked.
What if Skype Has Been Hacked by a Spy App?
If your phone and your Skype account have been hacked using a spy app it can be difficult to find out for sure. Modern spy apps are very good at remaining hidden from the user.
Older versions of these apps were easy to find but not anymore. You will not see any icons on the home screen, they won’t show up in running processes and they will not increase your data use significantly.
What To Do If Your Skype Is Hacked
If you think that your Skype account has been hacked you do have a few options on how to fix it. It all depends on how the hack was performed in the first place.
If it was from a major data breach Skype themselves will most likely reach out with instructions on what to do. Usually, this will involve logging out and resetting passwords or possibly deleting the app and re-installing it.
The bigger issue with these public data breaches is what other data the hackers might have obtained. Your biggest worry might be payment details or access to other accounts. So you might want to reset all your online passwords to be safe.
If your phone itself has been hacked by any method including spy apps you definitely have a more serious issue. I have an in-depth guide on removing a hacker from your phone and one on removing hidden spy apps. These cover all methods that work reliably.
The short version is that you can remove the hack by doing a factory reset on your phone. This is the most foolproof way to get your phone clean again and works for Android and iPhones.
Of course, this will remove all your personal data and added apps so be sure to make backups before you do a hard reset. Everything is covered in the above guides.
Some other security guides you might like:
- Ways to know your Tinder account is hacked
- How to know if your Snapchat has been hacked
- Find out if your Telegram acount is hacked
- How to tell if Viber is hacked
Conclusion
The only way to know for sure if your Skype is hacked is to look out for the signs above. Both amateur and professional hackers use these techniques regularly so be vigilant.
If you think that your Skype account has been hacked or your phone has been compromised there are ways to fix it. So don’t panic! Instead, follow the advice above. If in any doubt performing a factory reset will remove all hacks.
