Valve Fraud Investigation

[SektorSnipes]

So I was getting steam messages from an Anna Palmer claiming to be Valve employee investigating me for fraud and for being signed in on multiple devices across the world. I obviously thought it was a scam and just ignored the messages. They then started threatening to delete games and items and friends on steam. I once again ignored them but then it actually started happening. Games were being removed and my friends were being deleted. I immediately changed my steam password and scanned for malware. I relogged in and everything and there’s a message on my profile that says “VAC banned alert” and it won’t go away. My email password is changed, my steam password is changed, there’s no API on my account that I can tell. But I can’t see any of my items and the alert is still there. But I’m not actually VAC banned. So do they still have access to my account or am I safe now? How will I know when the account is 100% mine again?

[Yujah]

Originally posted by SektorSnipes:

I relogged in and everything and there’s a message on my profile that says “VAC banned alert” and it won’t go away.

Sure it will: just edit it out in the same manner that the scammer edited it in (just from "Edit Profile").

Run through Wolf Knght's steps posted e.g. here: https://steamcommunity.com/discussions/forum/1/6982351509014421019/#c6982351509014427582

[J4MESOX4D]

Do all the steps included above in order and any already done should be repeated. Also have a look at the scam faq https://help.steampowered.com/en/faqs/view/70E6-991B-233B-A37B

Your account was already compromised before the scammers then made direct contact.

[SektorSnipes]

Okay so I was able to get rid of the VAC banned warning message. Thanks for helping me with that. Am I just ♥♥♥♥ out of luck with my items though? I’m away from my computer right now and can only check via steam mobile app and can’t see any of my skins.

[SektorSnipes]

Oh actually I’m just a steam noob and wasn’t looking in the right place. I’ve still got all my skins and it looks like my account is back in my possession. Thanks for all your help guys and for linking those steps. I’ll do them as soon as I’m at my main computer.

[Yujah]

If you didn't yet kick out all (other) devices from your account as per 2 of Wolf Knight's list your account might still not be safe.

The standard follow up to the scam is you "being given the opportunity" to transfer your inventory items to a friend or "holding account" so as to be "validated". As long as you did and DO not trade away anything until all the steps as linked have been done, it'll be fine once you do definitively kick them out.

[SektorSnipes]

I have kicked everyone out on all accounts a couple of times as per the list and I haven’t done any trading yet. They tried to send me a link with the “Instructions on how to remove an unknown VPN from your computer” and at that point I was already changing my passwords.

[Yujah]

Sounds good enough. It's a near certainty that your account was compromised (because without a scammer/bot being on the account already a fast intercept/redirect of a "validation" trade as was going to be the next step is not a thing) so you did at some point leak account credentials through e.g. a phishing scam, but seems you were perceptive enough.

These forums see up to tens of cases daily where people weren't; congrats :)

[SektorSnipes]

Thanks. I didn’t get any phishing scams so it was most likely a bad skin trading sight. Gonna do more research next time or probably just buy on the steam market place.

[JPMcMillen]

Originally posted by SektorSnipes:

Thanks. I didn’t get any phishing scams so it was most likely a bad skin trading sight. Gonna do more research next time or probably just buy on the steam market place.

All skin trading sites are bad. Never trust them with an account you couldn't afford to lose.

[J4Ckyyyyy]

all of this happened to me also and i accepted the trade and all of dota2 and cs2 items are gone ..how can someone be steam employee and take so much control of steam being not steam employee this is ridicuously frustrating ..valve should upgrade their ui
i got a msgs from steam employee named "Manager Vanessa". I also have all the screenshots saved but i guess my items wont return

[joridiculous]

Step one if anyone expect a scam or something "suspicious" going on; contact steam immediately.
Not only will it help valve to catch these scammers, but it will also be quicker to get your account back in order again.

Prevention: By suspicions of anything being mailed or DM to from "steam" that sounds "weird"..
Steam/Valve) will newer ask you for personal information besides what they already know or outside a support issue

[J4MESOX4D]

Originally posted by J4Ckyyyyy:

all of this happened to me also and i accepted the trade and all of dota2 and cs2 items are gone ..how can someone be steam employee and take so much control of steam being not steam employee this is ridicuously frustrating ..valve should upgrade their ui
i got a msgs from steam employee named "Manager Vanessa". I also have all the screenshots saved but i guess my items wont return

They are not Steam employees - they are scammers who have already hijacked your account, baiting you into making a trade and losing your items. Follow the steps provided in the link given in the first response and then read below.

https://help.steampowered.com/en/faqs/view/70E6-991B-233B-A37B

[Yujah]

Originally posted by J4Ckyyyyy:

I also have all the screenshots saved but i guess my items wont return

No, sorry. When Steam did try and fix this for people there was immediate widespread abuse in the sense of fake/arranged item thefts.

Do run through all the steps in the also in #1 linked reply from Wolf Knight;
https://steamcommunity.com/discussions/forum/1/6982351509014421019/#c6982351509014427582

[Crashed]

Originally posted by SektorSnipes:

Okay so I was able to get rid of the VAC banned warning message. Thanks for helping me with that. Am I just ♥♥♥♥ out of luck with my items though? I’m away from my computer right now and can only check via steam mobile app and can’t see any of my skins.

And real VAC or game ban will only show in red text on the right of your profile and in Settings in Steam. Anywhere else it is a scam.

[✪M1le_THE_R]

Originally posted by SektorSnipes:

So I was getting steam messages from an Anna Palmer claiming to be Valve employee investigating me for fraud and for being signed in on multiple devices across the world. I obviously thought it was a scam and just ignored the messages. They then started threatening to delete games and items and friends on steam. I once again ignored them but then it actually started happening. Games were being removed and my friends were being deleted. I immediately changed my steam password and scanned for malware. I relogged in and everything and there’s a message on my profile that says “VAC banned alert” and it won’t go away. My email password is changed, my steam password is changed, there’s no API on my account that I can tell. But I can’t see any of my items and the alert is still there. But I’m not actually VAC banned. So do they still have access to my account or am I safe now? How will I know when the account is 100% mine again?

it's all happening to me