Suppose that, out of the blue, a Steam user tells you they've accidentally reported you for something you didn't practice, similar making an illegal purchase, and that your Steam business relationship is going to be suspended.

They ask y'all to message a Steam admin, whose profile they kindly provide, to help you sort out this dilemma.

What do you do?

At that place are some scams on Steam which have stood the exam of time. Their tactics and target take remained more often than not consistent for years. Phishing campaigns aimed at harvesting as many user credentials as possible, for example, are a dime a dozen. And let'southward not forget the many means a fraudster can gull Counter Strike: Global Offense (CS:GO) players.

Like Steam phishing campaigns, this detail Steam scam—referred to loosely equally the "I accidentally reported you" or "I accidentally reported your account" scam—has been coming and going since initial reports of it emerged in late 2022. To engagement, it has no other target apart from Steam users. And, based on its new latest iteration, it targets Steam users with a Discord account.

For those who aren't enlightened of this scam and its variants, below is a breakdown of how the scam works. On the other hand, if y'all're quite acquainted with it, dear Reader, then feel free to skip to the next department.

The Steam scam playthrough

The hello

The fraudsters backside the "I accidentally reported you" scam usually approach their targets under the pretext that they need something, or they take something to say. Anything to propose that it's something important and that they should exist heard out.

They may already be a Steam "friend", from a couple of days or years ago, someone in the same Steam group as y'all, or a user who wants you to add them to your friends list.

These scammers are straightforward but polite, usually greeting you kickoff before asking if you're decorated so as not to intrude. They are even convincingly apologetic. (Image via Reddit user /u/Moritz_M05.

I'chiliad and so deplorable but I accidentally reported your account to the steam admin for scamming me and duping items instead of someone who impersonated your profile and that impersonator is a scammer who scammed me 🙁

In that location is no word-for-word script that scammers stick to, but the gist is this: someone posing equally you scammed them, but they reported y'all instead of the impostor.

Notation that other variants of this scam volition claim that they have reported you for "doing illegal purchases"—some other reason to cause a degree of alarm simply flawed, nonetheless.

The assist

(Via /u/Moritz_M05)

I'm worried about your account now bro because the steam admin already ban his account

(Via /u/Moritz_M05)

if my study on your business relationship gets process you will get ban too just like the scammers business relationship 🙁

At this point, the scammer drives the point that your business relationship will get banned next, unless something is washed. The scammer then insinuates that assist is on the way: a "Steam admin" that will abolish the report and remove the target's account from the ban pile. All the same, they should confirm that the study confronting them was a mistake first.

(Via /u/Moritz_M05)

ok so here is the profile of the steam admin if he accept merely file a ticket to him that y'all are not involved in the report

The sharing of a legitimate profile—or what appears to be legitimate—that is connected to Steam or its programmer, Valve, is one of the tactics scammers employ to brand their claims wait more true.

If you raise the possibility that this Steam admin might not have your friend request, the scammer suggests that you contact them via Discord.

(Via /u/Moritz_M05)

tin y'all add him on discord? so that if he cannot notice your req on steam maybe he volition notice it on discord.

anyhow I need to show you lot something

Oh no, what now?

this is a reply about my study on your account

The scammer shows a purported response from "Jill", the Steam admin of this example, containing explicit instructions to contact the political party who was mistakenly blocked and have them contact her likewise through Discord. She fifty-fifty left her Discord user name. (Via /u/Moritz_M05)

It'due south another reinforcement tactic, to erase any doubts you may still have. Frankly, it's overkill at this point.

The hogwash

Convinced of what y'all must do and who you need to contact, you go far bear upon with the Steam admin. Of course, this admin is imitation and probable either the scammer or an accomplice.

Notation that the tone of the conversation changes here. The scammer's concerned and helpful front is gone one time y'all start chatting with the faux admin:

Hullo there, Please state the reason why did you add me?

After you briefly explicate the situation, the fake admin asks for a screenshot of the chat that transpired between you and the scammer.

I received the report according to our coordinator's review near illegal activity for Illegal Purchased simply y'all don't accept to worry here if yous're not really involved in the said issue. I volition remove the banned report event in your account. All you demand to do is to prove that your account is in good condition and it was a false accusation so that Valve Report Assistance Team volition cancel the Banned study charge on your account

The proof they ask for is a screenshot of your buy history. They will also inquire y'all to log out of your Steam account on your computer and/or mobile then they can "starting time the scanning of your account status". Of grade, in that location is no browse. The fake admin asks this as a lead in to asking for more data—for starters, the email address tied to your Steam account.

An email address is needed when a Steam user finds themselves locked out of their account and they forgot their account name or password.

The fake admin asks you to go the verification code sent by Steam to your email accost. If you happen to have Steam Baby-sit enabled, the false admin will enquire for the lawmaking as well.

Never give anybody your Steam Guard password.

In some cases, the imitation admin will ask you to send them the reported indistinguishable item to check if information technology was, indeed, a duplicate via the Steam trading office. This is framed as "borrowing" the item, simply you won't be getting it dorsum.

If you comply with the imitation Steam admin yous tin can lose your accounts, your game items, and even money.

Targets who question any of the tasks the fake admin asks them to do are met with the force per unit area to reply quickly because they're "running out of fourth dimension", they are presented with a imitation certificate, or they are threatened with having their accounts deleted.

False Steam admin not giving yous whatsoever choice but to comply, or else. (Via /u/GatoTristeY)
I know, right? (Image taken from a hijacked Steam profile)

Although several Steam users volition not attain this role of the scam, many aren't so lucky. Some, despite knowing that something is off, aren't 100 pct certain if they're dealing with a scammer or not.

True social engineers, or just desperate?

What we believed to be the first variant of this scam in 2022 was simple and solely focused on misusing the Steam trading function. This scam is now highly evolved and, one tin say, has branched out into other nefarious acts, such as hijacking accounts, rare particular theft, and other means scammers can milk victims of their (or their parents') difficult-earned money.

Similar most scams, the "I accidentally reported you lot" scam relies heavily on social applied science tactics that aim at gaps in a Steam user's familiarity with how things piece of work inside the platform's ecosystem.

Scammers want to announced believable, so it'southward no surprise they use already hijacked accounts that accept a adept standing on Steam when reaching out to targets. The same can exist said about Discord accounts nether their control.

Scammers refurbish accounts to make information technology wait like a Valve employee by customizing its URL and providing more groundwork info. If this doesn't scream "I'grand a Valve employee!", then I don't know what does. (Via /u/CoffeeMapachi)

The scammers backside this scheme also come prepared. Not just do they have the materials—screenshots and a guide script—they need to counter frequent questions raised about their credibility, they are also not agape to play on Steam users' fears, even at the hazard of losing the credibility they already built up with their target.

Familiarize and exercise

Steam has always put the onus of not getting scammed onto the shoulders of its users. If you did get scammed, Steam Support volition aid to the all-time of their abilities, including getting your hijacked business relationship back. But across this, similar retrieving a stolen rare detail, refunding money if your business relationship has been used to purchase Steam gift cards (for example), they likely won't be able to assist.

That said, it's crucial for Steam users to realize that they may have blind spots and may not be also acquainted with some aspects of the platform as they think. Filling in these blind spots can assistance yous spot scams.

Know that:

  • There is no such thing every bit "Steam admin", false study, or a "Certificate of Eligibility".
  • There are Valve employees with Steam profiles. And they proudly display a legitimate badge to evidence this. They are top-tier moderators (mods) who have full administrator privilege in Steam.
  • Real Valve employees belong to two invite-but groups, which are Valve and Steam.
  • There are Steam Community Moderators. Like Valve employees, current and retired moderators have their ain badges, too. Community moderators can ban users, among other things.
  • Real Steam Community Moderators, both agile and inactive, belong to the invite-just grouping, STEAM Community Moderators (SUFMods).
  • In that location is a page where y'all tin can look up all Steam Customs Moderators.
  • Scammers link back to legitimate profiles of Valve employees or Steam moderators to hook targets into reaching out to through Discord. These Discord accounts are not manned by Valve employees but by scammers.
  • In that location is no such matter as an illegal detail. That said, there is no demand for anyone to review an detail.
  • If an particular does need inspection, Valve employees would not crave you lot to paw them over. They will just look it upwardly in their database.
  • Indistinguishable items (or dupes) exist, but they are not illegal. Duplication was done years ago past Steam Support to restore scammed or stolen items for hijacked victims. Steam Support doesn't do this anymore.
  • If you have handed over an item to someone challenge to exist a "Steam admin", consider information technology gone forever. The electric current policy is that Steam Back up does not restore items that accept left an business relationship, including scammed ones.
  • If at that place is a problem with your account, or you have an impending ban, Steam will let you know either via email, a Back up ticket, or business relationship alerts. Hither is an example [link to business relationship-warning-sample] (taken from Steam on Reddit).
  • A Steam moderator volition never contact yous via chat or a tertiary-political party app like Discord for any reason.
  • A Steam moderator will never mediate between you and another user.

Secure your Steam account by using a strong password, taking total advantage of Steam Guard—Steam'due south two-factor hallmark method—and be aware of the latest scams that are targeting you as a Steam user. Keep the above points in mind, and stay safe!