Steam Video Game Platform Players Beware – Scams are Everywhere on the Steam Platform

How Steam Game Platform Scams Operate

Steam scams manifest in various forms, all are designed to deceive users into sending money, transferring valuable in-game items, or surrendering their account credentials. Steam accounts, especially those with large game libraries and rare items, can hold significant value, making them attractive targets for scammers.

Common scams often involve impersonation, fraudulent trades, or phishing attempts aimed at tricking users. Scammers may pose as Valve (Steam’s parent company) employees, requesting sensitive information, or they may lure victims into fake trades that result in financial loss or item theft. Despite the wide range of scams, there are recognizable warning signs to help users avoid falling victim, which we will cover in more detail below.

Types of Steam Scams

Steam Gift Card Scams

Gift card scams involve scammers tricking users into purchasing Steam gift cards and providing the card codes directly. These scams typically unfold in two ways:

1. 1. 1. Impersonation and Blackmail: Scammers impersonate trusted individuals or organizations and claim that you owe money. They demand payment in the form of Steam gift cards, instructing you to purchase the cards and send the codes as “payment.”
      2. Fake Giveaways or Prizes: Fraudsters contact users claiming they’ve won a prize but must first send a Steam gift card to “verify” their identity. Once the scammer receives the code, they redeem the card, and the victim never receives the promised reward.
      3. Romance Scams or Phone Scams: These typically involve someone that the victim ‘knows’ that needs money and asks for it in the form of Steam Gift Cards – these are then sold and converted into money or bitcoin by the scammers.

Scammers prefer gift cards because they are difficult to trace, easy to redeem, and provide no buyer protection, making recovery of funds nearly impossible.

Phishing Scams

Phishing scams are designed to steal your login credentials by directing you to fake websites mimicking Steam’s interface. Scammers often send links through direct messages or comments, urging you to log in to claim rewards or prevent account suspension. Entering your details on these fake sites hands them over to the scammer, potentially giving them full access to your account.

Impersonation Scams

In these scams, fraudsters impersonate Valve employees or Steam support personnel. They may contact you with alarming messages, claiming your account is at risk of suspension unless you provide personal information or items. By exploiting fear, scammers coerce users into complying, often resulting in the loss of valuable account assets.

PayPal Scams

PayPal scams involve fake transactions or fraudulent chargebacks. A scammer may send an invoice claiming payment is required for a rare in-game item. After you pay, the item is never delivered. Alternatively, they may “pay” you via PayPal, receive the item in trade, and then reverse the transaction, leaving you without the item or funds.

Steam API Scam

This scam involves gaining access to your Steam credentials, often through phishing or weak passwords. Scammers manipulate your trade offers by using bots that intercept and replace legitimate trades with fraudulent ones. This method allows scammers to acquire your items without offering anything in return.

Steam Malware Scams

Scammers lure users into downloading third-party tools, cheats, or “free gift card” generators that promise to enhance gaming experiences. Many of these downloads secretly contain malware that can compromise your account and steal personal data.

Item-Switching Scam

Although less common due to Steam’s updated security features, item-switching scams still occur. In this scheme, the scammer initiates a trade with a valuable item but switches it for a lower-value item just before finalizing. Users who don’t carefully review the trade may unknowingly accept an unfavorable deal.

Warning Signs of Steam Scams

Suspicious Messages from Low-Level or New Accounts: Scammers frequently use newly created or low-level accounts that lack game history or reputation. Be wary of unsolicited messages, especially those involving trades or requests for sensitive information.

Threatening or Coercive Language: Fraudsters often use intimidation tactics, threatening to suspend or delete your account if immediate action isn’t taken. Valve will never contact users with threats or demand personal information.

External Communication and Payment Requests: Scammers may ask you to communicate or conduct transactions outside of Steam’s platform to bypass Steam’s security measures. Avoid using third-party messaging apps or payment platforms for trades.

How to Protect Yourself from Steam Scams

Be Cautious in Communication: Approach messages from unknown users with skepticism, especially those involving trades or offers that seem too good to be true.

Verify Accounts: Check the profile and trade history of users who initiate contact. Look for signs of legitimacy, such as account age, game ownership, and trading reputation.

Trade Only on Steam: Conduct all trades and item exchanges within Steam’s official platform to ensure transactions are secure. Avoid external trading websites.

Avoid Clicking Suspicious Links: Do not click links sent in comments or direct messages unless you can verify their authenticity.

Enable Steam Guard and 2FA (Two Factor Authentication): Use Steam’s two-factor authentication (2FA) and Steam Guard to add extra layers of protection to your account.

Be Wary of Gift Card Requests: No legitimate business, individual, or Valve employee will ever ask for Steam gift card codes as payment. Treat any such request as a scam.

Reporting Steam Platform Scams

If you encounter or fall victim to a scam, report the user through Steam’s built-in reporting system. Additionally, report fraudulent activity on any external platform or payment service the scammer attempted to use. Taking action helps Valve identify and remove malicious accounts, protecting others in the process.

According to Steam:

How to Report a Scammer, Hijacker or Phisher

Reporting a scammer, hijacker or phisher through their Steam Profile will always be better than submitting a Steam Support ticket containing your report. A community report includes the best information about the interaction between your accounts, and is quicker to review and act on.

Reporting a friend’s hijacked account can also be useful for Steam’s moderators to lock that account until its owner can recover it.

To avoid scams in the future, ensure that you know the methods that a malicious user may use to attempt to scam. You can find detailed information in the Steam Scam FAQ.

NOTE:

Steam moderators do not take action or issue restrictions unless the reported infraction can be verified against the reported account’s actual use.

Some scammers may attempt to threaten your account with mass or automated reporting. Steam disregards all automated or malicious reports and will lock any accounts involved. You can be sure your account is safe from any attempt to weaponize reports unless you’re using your account in a way that violates Steam’s rules.

Some scammers may claim they’ve mistakenly or falsely reported you and you need to take action to save your account. This is a scam and can be ignored: Scam – I Have Been Reported and Will Be Banned

If you are scammed:

If you are scammed, phished, hijacked, or wish to report another account as hijacked, please use the Report feature built into Steam:

1. Go to the Steam profile of the offending user
2. Click the ‘…’ drop-down button located at the top right of the page
3. Choose “Report Player”
4. Select the category of offense which best describes the behavior you are reporting.
5. Select the violation.
6. Write a short statement about your interaction with this user, and hit “Submit Report”. Note: You can also choose to block this user.

If you have been scammed, we recommend that you review Steam’s Scam FAQ, the Recommended Trading Practices article and the Steam Item Restoration Policy for more information.

For information on how to safeguard an account, please read the Steam Account Security Recommendations and Steam Account Phishing articles.

If you have lost items due to your account being compromised, please see the Steam Item Restoration Policy article for more information.

Report Steam Gift Card Scams

To report Steam gift card abuse online, navigate to the profile of the offending user on Steam, click the three dots in the top right corner, select “Report Player,” and choose the appropriate violation category to submit your report; this is the best way to report a scammer through Steam’s built-in reporting feature.

Key steps:

• • Go to the user’s profile: Access the Steam profile of the person you suspect of abusing gift cards.
  • Click the drop-down menu: Find the three dots or drop-down menu in the top right corner of the profile.
  • Select “Report Player”: Choose the option to report the player from the menu.
  • Choose the violation: Select the category that best describes the abusive behavior related to the gift card.
  • Submit the report: Follow the prompts to submit your report with details about the incident.

Important points to remember:

Keep evidence: If possible, gather evidence like screenshots or chat logs to support your report.

Contact Steam Support: If you have trouble reporting through the in-platform feature, you can also reach out to Steam Support directly.

Report to authorities: If you believe the abuse is part of a larger scam, consider contacting your local law enforcement or the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). See reporting.AgaisntScams.org to find how and where to report.