Here's something serious - my account appears to have been hijacked, and Skypeout calls being automatically made while I am asleep.

Oddly enough - to my own mobile number which is in my Skype Out contact list.

It's a careful scheme, with testing about 2 weeks ago in the wee hours while I am asleep, and then a 2 hour call to my mobile phone.

Strange thing is that my mobile phone was off and there is no voicemail and no record of a call, except in Skype.

The first three "trials" lasted for exactly 48 seconds each, all in the dark hours when my machine was unattended.

This did raise my curiousity but I couldn't bebothered battling the Skype "Help" system. In fact I think I send a query which came back with references to other answers which were not relevant and I could not spend the effort to go further.

But in the latest case my auto-recharge started popping over and I spent time tracking down why and where and discovered this 2 hour call.

I don't have any call forward enabled, and therefore it could not be an incoming call which activated the event.

This is a real security nightmare, and has cost me Euro20 in one hit. Calling myself at 4.33am for 2 hours to my switched off mobile phone doesn't make any sense.

I am not sure who would benefit, but it is not me. I am turning off all auto-recharges and also removing Skype-out contacts - which ultimately makes Skype relatively useless for me.

My "google" on "skype hijack" did not reveal any other reported cases but perhaps time will tell.

Walter Adamson
Melbourne, Australia