# Random Strangers Sending Me Skype Contact Requests - What's The Scam? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 4, 2015, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-strangers-sending-me-skype-contact-requests-whats-the-scam/711833 "2015-02-04T19:35:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2015, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-strangers-sending-me-skype-contact-requests-whats-the-scam/711833/1 "2015-02-04T19:35:27Z")
Since signing up for Skype several months ago, I’ve gotten a couple dozen contact requests from complete strangers, who will then try to chat with me. Every time, when I’ve asked how we know each other, the answer I’ve received has either been evasive or an honest “We don’t. I just saw your name and thought we could talk.” And of course, every non-answer has resulted in an immediate block of the person. What’s this about? What possible reason could there be for people to chat up random strangers? Leading up to lead up to a sales pitch? A long-con version of the 410 scam? People who genuinely enjoy talking to strangers? ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2015, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-strangers-sending-me-skype-contact-requests-whats-the-scam/711833/2 "2015-02-04T19:39:14Z")
I’ve gotten a few that claim to be from women I met on sites that I’ve never even been to. I assume if I initiated contact they’d try to get me into a paid webcam session or a porn or dating site. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2015, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-strangers-sending-me-skype-contact-requests-whats-the-scam/711833/3 "2015-02-04T19:40:25Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > What’s this about? What possible reason could there be for people to chat up random strangers? Leading up to lead up to a sales pitch? A long-con version of the 410 scam? People who genuinely enjoy talking to strangers? “Now that we are friends, I feel a little bit more comfortable letting you know that I have a stage 4 cranio-rectal inversion and have at most 6 months to live if I can’t raise enough money for the extraction process. Can you help?” ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2015, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-strangers-sending-me-skype-contact-requests-whats-the-scam/711833/4 "2015-02-04T21:23:24Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > I’ve gotten a few that claim to be from women I met on sites that I’ve never even been to. I assume if I initiated contact they’d try to get me into a paid webcam session or a porn or dating site. This is it. A link to a webcam site will soon follow if you start chatting. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2015, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-strangers-sending-me-skype-contact-requests-whats-the-scam/711833/5 "2015-02-04T21:35:53Z")
I’ve played with them. They’re obviously bots – their answers don’t match what you say to them, and the go on even when you text back obvious non sequiturs. Eventually, they tell you to go to a website to see them naked. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2015, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-strangers-sending-me-skype-contact-requests-whats-the-scam/711833/6 "2015-02-04T23:28:36Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > … They’re obviously bots … Eventually, they tell you to go to a website to see them naked. And when you do, this (SFW) is what you see: [https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&…](https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&q=PC+case+open&oq=PC+case+open) ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-strangers-sending-me-skype-contact-requests-whats-the-scam/711833/7 "2015-02-05T08:51:54Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > And when you do, this (SFW) is what you see: [https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&…](https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&q=PC+case+open&oq=PC+case+open) 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-strangers-sending-me-skype-contact-requests-whats-the-scam/711833/8 "2015-02-05T10:54:21Z")
> [@Canadjun](#): > > “Now that we are friends, I feel a little bit more comfortable letting you know that I have a stage 4 cranio-rectal inversion and have at most 6 months to live if I can’t raise enough money for the extraction process. Can you help?” Hey, do you know how expensive it is to hire a proctoneurologist? Practically all of their time is taken up by housecalls at IBM! ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-strangers-sending-me-skype-contact-requests-whats-the-scam/711833/9 "2015-02-05T11:07:37Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > And when you do, this (SFW) is what you see: [https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&…](https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&q=PC+case+open&oq=PC+case+open) I salute you. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-strangers-sending-me-skype-contact-requests-whats-the-scam/711833/10 "2015-02-05T15:46:36Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > And when you do, this (SFW) is what you see: [https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&…](https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&q=PC+case+open&oq=PC+case+open) I’ve asked girls if I can see into their box before…but never expected that