Bought a webcam recently, it's having a weird problem I'm having trouble diagnosing and fixing. I'll let bullet points do the talking:

• Camera is http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0019WF4FE/ref=oh_o00_s00_i00_details. It has a USB plug and an audio plug, with no drivers, instructions, or anything else. Both plugs are plugged into the back of my computer.
  
• When talking on Skype, a strange beeping/chirping sound is heard by the person I'm talking to. It is more or less constant, getting better or stopping occasionally due to no action of my own. It has a rhythm (rather than being random). I'd describe it as the sound of crickets.
  
• In Skype, turning the video off also removes the noise.
  
• Noise happens both with mic attached to camera and when using external mic. With external mic, getting further away from camera makes noise quieter.
  
• Noise cannot be heard when using any other camera at same location.
  
• I cannot hear any noise like the one coming from my computer or my surroundings. I suppose the mic could be picking up something that is too quiet or too weirdly pitched for me to hear.
  
• Person I'm talking to also got new laptop same day as I got the cam and, when talking to him through another computer (a laptop), I also heard the noise. The laptop was in close proximity to the new camera, but he did not hear the noise.

So, any ideas as to what is going on an how I can fix it? Working theory was that the camera's mic was picking up sounds within the camera (lens adjustment to correct lighting, for instance), but then why does an external microphone hear it too?

Thanks in advance

I'd assume it's an interference issue. Can you replicate the problem on a separate PC?

Tested in between me and another PC (brother's desktop, other side of the house), problem is still there.

Yeah, if it's happening on multiple computers it's probably some weird interference/feedback with the camera itself. Not much you can do except maybe return the camera to where you bought it if it's recent, or return to manufacturer as even cheapo webcams have a 1 year warranty usually (whether it's worth the hassle of returning to the manufacturer is another question).