Steam Support :: Scam FAQ (Confidence Scams and Trade Scams) (2024)

FAQs

Is there a Steam support scam? ›

Do not follow any instructions provided by anyone claiming to have accidentally reported your account. Some confidence scammers (scammers, cons, con artists) target Steam users by threatening their accounts or claiming to represent Steam Support, Valve, or a trusted individual or service.

If someone did report your account falsely and you're concerned about being banned, you can rest assured that Steam disregards false reports. communicate with you about your account using any chat system including Steam Chat and Discord.

Steam trade scams

Money for Steam trades: Scammers may promise to make payments via Steam Wallet codes or digital gift cards to complete a trade. They may get away without paying by sending fake codes, charging back the gift card, or using stolen credit cards to buy the gift card.

What to do after a Steam API scam? Immediately revoke your API key, change your password, deauthorize all devices, and report the scam to Steam.

Direct messages with a fake link.

They offer something good, like free items, an unbelievable discount, or a very good trade for your items. Or you could get a friend invitation in a DM (maybe even from a famous person) like “I want to be your friend but cannot do this on Steam; use this link”.

Steam will contact you via email for further assistance.

Personal Data we collect may include, but is not limited to, browser and device information, data collected through automated electronic interactions and application usage data. Likewise, we will track your process across our websites and applications to verify that you are not a bot and to optimize our services.

Once the scammer obtains the card's code, they can quickly redeem it on their own Steam account or sell it on the black market. Since Steam cards are transferable and widely accepted, scammers can easily convert them into real money or virtual items.

Viruses, key loggers, spyware and other malicious code can steal your Steam Account name and password. Before resetting your Steam Account's password, you should run virus and spyware scanners to ensure such programs are not on your computer.

Any claim that you've been accidentally or falsely reported for fraud or any other infraction is a scam. Do not follow any instructions provided by anyone claiming to have accidentally reported your account.

Can I trust Steam? ›

Steam has multiple security layers, like two-factor authentication and encryption protocols. User data is protected, accounts need verification to log in from new devices, and financial information is secured when making purchases. This makes Steam a relatively safe choice.

The scam happens during the second step when confirming the offer. Through access to your API key, it automatically cancels the original trade offer and creates a duplicate from a different account with the same name and profile picture, which is hard to distinguish at first glance.

Steam Support :: Steam Item Restoration Policy. Steam Support does not restore items that have left accounts for any reason, including trades, market transactions, deletions, or gifting. It is your responsibility to secure your Steam account.

When your Steam account gets hacked, it means that hackers have gained unauthorized access to your game library and potentially even your banking details. They can quickly change email addresses and passwords to deny access.

Valve will never ask you to come in touch with them, outside of their official Support or third-party apps, like Discord. Only seek help through official Steam support. Valve will never ask you to provide any money, Paysafe, Wallet, gift card, or bank credentials as proof.

Some scammers target your Steam wallet by offering to buy Steam cards, often promising discounts or promotions for repeat purchases. While the first few transactions may appear legitimate, they are meant to establish trust until the scammer can deceive you into giving them money.

Their account may be compromised! NEVER follow instructions to speak with someone claiming to represent Steam Support through Discord or any other chat system, even if they come from a friend's account or claim to be able to resolve a false report. ALWAYS make sure you log out when finished at a cafe!

Steam Support will send an automated email message containing a confirmation code to your contact email address each time you begin to change your Steam Account password or contact email address. This unique code must then be entered into Steam in order to complete the change to your account.