Skype worries

[Ethel]

If I were to receive abusive calls from someone using skype - either to my landline, mobile or computer - would there be any way of tracing the caller?

Would the police and other investigative authorities be able to identify the source of the call?

I do know that if I receive calls from a landline or mobile and the number is with held, that number can still be identified if there is a good reason.

[homer75]

I would think that the pc from which the call originated could be identified by its unique IP address.

[Ethel]

Thanks for that, homer.

I can see how that would work with static IPs but if the caller is using a router the IP is usually dynamic and changes frequently.

[RIR]

You should still be able to identify the ISP. If you complained to them, they could identify the user allocated that IP address at the time the call(s) were made.

[Ethel]

Thanks. I'm not quite sure how I would obtain the ISP is the call was to my landline though.

[RIR]

You can't. You'd have to receive the call via your PC.

[Ethel]

It makes it very easy for people who enjoy making nuisance calls then. :(

[rojash]

As anyone using Skype must be registered, I would have thought you could contact Skype if you had such a problem. They must have a record for billing purposes...

[fo3nix]

As rojash says, all data is handled via skype's systems, so a precise accouting system will be easily able to identify who the caller was.

The only problem would be if the skype account was stolen and a dial-up modem was used. But even then the first server the modem reaches would most likely be identifiable to skype.