Suppose that, out of the bluish, a Steam user tells you they've accidentally reported yous for something you didn't exercise, like making an illegal purchase, and that your Steam business relationship is going to exist suspended.

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

What do y'all do?

There are some scams on Steam which take stood the exam of time. Their tactics and target take remained generally consequent for years. Phishing campaigns aimed at harvesting equally many user credentials as possible, for example, are a dime a dozen. And let's not forget the many means a fraudster tin dupe Counter Strike: Global Crime (CS:GO) players.

Like Steam phishing campaigns, this item 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 2018. To date, information technology has no other target apart from Steam users. And, based on its new latest iteration, information technology targets Steam users with a Discord account.

For those who aren't enlightened of this scam and its variants, beneath 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 behind the "I accidentally reported you" scam usually arroyo their targets under the pretext that they demand something, or they have something to say. Anything to advise that it'south something important and that they should be heard out.

They may already exist a Steam "friend", from a couple of days or years ago, someone in the same Steam group every bit yous, or a user who wants you to add together them to your friends list.

These scammers are straightforward only polite, usually greeting you first before asking if you're busy so as not to intrude. They are even convincingly apologetic. (Epitome via Reddit user /u/Moritz_M05.

I'm then lamentable just 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 🙁

There is no give-and-take-for-word script that scammers stick to, but the gist is this: someone posing equally you scammed them, simply they reported you instead of the impostor.

Note that other variants of this scam will claim that they have reported you for "doing illegal purchases"—another reason to cause a degree of alarm simply flawed, nevertheless.

The help

(Via /u/Moritz_M05)

I'm worried most your account at present bro considering the steam admin already ban his account

(Via /u/Moritz_M05)

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

At this point, the scammer drives the point that your business relationship will get banned next, unless something is done. The scammer then insinuates that help is on the way: a "Steam admin" that will abolish the study and remove the target'southward account from the ban pile. However, they should confirm that the report against them was a mistake showtime.

(Via /u/Moritz_M05)

ok so hither is the contour of the steam admin if he accept but file a ticket to him that yous are not involved in the report

The sharing of a legitimate profile—or what appears to be legitimate—that is continued to Steam or its developer, Valve, is one of the tactics scammers employ to make their claims look more truthful.

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

(Via /u/Moritz_M05)

can you add him on discord? so that if he cannot notice your req on steam maybe he will discover it on discord.

anyway I need to prove you something

Oh no, what now?

this is a reply nigh my report on your account

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

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

The hogwash

Convinced of what you must do and who you need to contact, y'all make it touch on with the Steam admin. Of course, this admin is fake and probable either the scammer or an accomplice.

Note that the tone of the chat changes here. The scammer's concerned and helpful forepart is gone one time you start chatting with the fake admin:

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

After you briefly explain the situation, the imitation admin asks for a screenshot of the chat that transpired betwixt you and the scammer.

I received the report according to our coordinator'south review about illegal action for Illegal Purchased only you don't have to worry here if you're not really involved in the said issue. I will remove the banned report issue in your account. All you need to practice is to prove that your account is in skilful status and it was a false accusation and then that Valve Report Aid Team will cancel the Banned report charge on your account

The proof they ask for is a screenshot of your purchase history. They will likewise ask yous to log out of your Steam account on your reckoner and/or mobile so they can "start the scanning of your account condition". Of course, there 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 electronic mail address is needed when a Steam user finds themselves locked out of their account and they forgot their account name or countersign.

The fake admin asks you to become the verification code sent past Steam to your e-mail address. If you happen to take Steam Guard enabled, the simulated admin will ask for the code likewise.

Never give anybody your Steam Guard password.

In some cases, the fake admin will ask you to send them the reported duplicate item to check if it was, indeed, a indistinguishable via the Steam trading function. This is framed as "borrowing" the item, but yous won't be getting it back.

If you comply with the fake Steam admin you lot can lose your accounts, your game items, and fifty-fifty money.

Targets who question whatsoever of the tasks the fake admin asks them to practise are met with the pressure level to respond chop-chop because they're "running out of time", they are presented with a simulated certificate, or they are threatened with having their accounts deleted.

Imitation Steam admin not giving you any choice merely to comply, or else. (Via /u/GatoTristeY)
I know, correct? (Image taken from a hijacked Steam profile)

Although several Steam users will not reach this part of the scam, many aren't so lucky. Some, despite knowing that something is off, aren't 100 percentage sure if they're dealing with a scammer or not.

True social engineers, or just drastic?

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

Like most scams, the "I accidentally reported you" scam relies heavily on social engineering tactics that aim at gaps in a Steam user'due south familiarity with how things work within the platform's ecosystem.

Scammers desire to appear believable, so it's no surprise they use already hijacked accounts that have a good standing on Steam when reaching out to targets. The same can be said almost Discord accounts under their control.

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

The scammers behind this scheme also come prepared. Not simply do they have the materials—screenshots and a guide script—they need to counter frequent questions raised most their credibility, they are besides non afraid to play on Steam users' fears, fifty-fifty at the risk of losing the credibility they already built upwardly with their target.

Familiarize and do

Steam has always put the onus of not getting scammed onto the shoulders of its users. If you did get scammed, Steam Back up will aid to the best of their abilities, including getting your hijacked account dorsum. Simply beyond this, like retrieving a stolen rare item, refunding money if your account has been used to purchase Steam gift cards (for instance), they likely won't exist able to help.

That said, it's crucial for Steam users to realize that they may accept blind spots and may not be equally well acquainted with some aspects of the platform equally they remember. Filling in these blind spots can help you spot scams.

Know that:

  • There is no such thing as "Steam admin", false report, or a "Certificate of Eligibility".
  • There are Valve employees with Steam profiles. And they proudly brandish a legitimate badge to testify this. They are top-tier moderators (mods) who take full administrator privilege in Steam.
  • Real Valve employees belong to two invite-only groups, which are Valve and Steam.
  • There are Steam Community Moderators. Like Valve employees, current and retired moderators have their ain badges, also. Community moderators can ban users, amidst other things.
  • Real Steam Community Moderators, both agile and inactive, vest to the invite-merely grouping, STEAM Community Moderators (SUFMods).
  • There is a page where yous can look upwardly all Steam Community 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 non manned by Valve employees but by scammers.
  • There is no such thing every bit an illegal particular. That said, at that place is no demand for anyone to review an item.
  • If an particular does need inspection, Valve employees would not require y'all to hand them over. They will just look it upwards in their database.
  • Duplicate items (or dupes) exist, but they are not illegal. Duplication was done years agone by Steam Support to restore scammed or stolen items for hijacked victims. Steam Support doesn't do this anymore.
  • If you lot have handed over an particular to someone claiming to be a "Steam admin", consider information technology gone forever. The current policy is that Steam Support does non restore items that accept left an business relationship, including scammed ones.
  • If there is a problem with your account, or you accept an impending ban, Steam will permit you know either via e-mail, a Back up ticket, or business relationship alerts. Here is an example [link to account-alert-sample] (taken from Steam on Reddit).
  • A Steam moderator will never contact you via chat or a third-political party app like Discord for whatever reason.
  • A Steam moderator will never mediate between you and another user.

Secure your Steam account by using a strong password, taking full advantage of Steam Guard—Steam's two-gene hallmark method—and be enlightened of the latest scams that are targeting you lot equally a Steam user. Keep the above points in listen, and stay safety!