Questioning the Validity of Skype Proof

This isn't a suggestion so much as it is food for thought.

As you'll probably know, Skype stores chat logs in a SQLite database client-sided on the user's PC. This can be easily edited with a very basic knowledge of SQL using any open source tool such as SqliteBrowser (freely available on Guthub for example).

The problems this poses is only limited to the creativity of the person editing the logs.

For example:

User initiates order to sell gold to somebody on Skype, they get a Sythe PM to confirm they are talking to that person on Skype. They then go offline mid order, and create some fake messages indicating that they have traded the gold. Combine this with some fake screenshots which are easily made.

This person now has skype evidence against them with their skype clearly in shot, they have a PM confirming it was them and some fake screenshots showing that a trade took place.

Even if that user then showed their own skype logs, it would just appear that they have deleted some of the messages.

Ultimately the above example is very simplistic but there are a variety of different ways people could manipulate this to mess with the current system.

As for the suggestion? I think this shows that Sythe needs to either endorse a chat application that cannot be "hacked" so easily or offer their own although these are just ideas of the top of my head.

Thoughts?

 

Then why did you post it here? :fp:

You can only change your own messages afaik, so comparing the messages of both people involved will easily give it away.

 

Didn't know where else to post it.

Somebody can move/lock it if it's necessary. Comparing messages between people only makes it your word against theirs. What would stop me from changing my logs, and just saying that you changed yours?

If somebody trusted did that, they would probably be able to get away with it.

 

This could easily be avoided. You could have the "hacker" delete all their Skype logs, then restart Skype. Skype would load all recent logs again and a mod could confirm they were not tampered with.

 

As said above this is not an issue at all mods would simply screen share to verify the Skype logs and trade. The mods arnt new so this really isn't a problem and if you get banned before you can reply just open a dispute with your proof and you will be unbanned just as quickly

 

Mods although some I dislike with a passion... Are in no way biased. They may be more cautious before banning say a big donor over something a 2015 user with no trust reports, if the facts are there and there's an obviously scam the user will be banned regaurdless. And if a mod pulls something like that simply contact firez.

 

The thing here is if the alleged "scammer" challenges you on that. They will have screenshots too of a different conversation. Not to mention that would ultimately lead to a screenshare where there are ways to get around this issue as users have stated above.

 

Having just tested this. i.e. deleting the Sqlite file and restarting Skype, it did not restore my old logs.

 

As CT said, mods can screenshare with the other party. If the logs don't match up, it's clear whose are edited. This has been done in the past without problem, so I don't see why there's a need to change anything about it... the only thing I see coming out of this is another "plz fix sythechat" thread, which I'm all for, but not for this reason.

 

If there's a discrepancy and two users have mismatching logs then we'll dig further and find out what happened.