Can you get arrested in real life for scamming steam inventorys?

[George Builder]

There is tons of scammers in steam and im wondering if you can get arrested for it.

[George Builder]

Forgot to mention can admins trace your ip for scamming tons of stuff?

[ted]

Originally posted by ducil:

Forgot to mention can admins trace your ip for scamming tons of stuff?

It would be hard to get someone for scamming as plenty of countries don't enforce static IPs so tracing would be hard. Then comes the issue regarding the fact that Valve is a US based company whereas the entire steam "community" is comprised of people from all over the world. Different laws and all that.

So in conclusion, I don't know if it is possible but if so it would be extremely hard to get someone for it.

[George Builder]

Originally posted by Sicck:

Originally posted by ducil:

Forgot to mention can admins trace your ip for scamming tons of stuff?

It woudl be hard to get someone for scamming as plenty of countries don't enforce static IPs so tracing would be hard. Then comes the issue regarding the fact that Valve is a US based company whereas the entire steam "community" is comprised of people from all over the world. Different laws and all that.

Then how about like in America can you get arrested there for scamming items?

[ted]

Originally posted by ducil:

Originally posted by Sicck:

It woudl be hard to get someone for scamming as plenty of countries don't enforce static IPs so tracing would be hard. Then comes the issue regarding the fact that Valve is a US based company whereas the entire steam "community" is comprised of people from all over the world. Different laws and all that.

Then how about like in America can you get arrested there for scamming items?

That would depend on some key factors. I haven't checked the steam subscriber agreement in a while but I think in regards to your items (much like your entire account) valve still owns the rights to them. That means that you really would not have much of a case since you don't even own the items that you were scammed of. Valve however may take legal action against the scammer for violating ToS and may try and get some damages out of them.

It is really hard to say in all honesty.

[RHYMIN SIMON]

There are no scammers. People just gift away their stuff.

When you open the trade window, and leave the other guy's item area empty, you are asked
"IS THIS A GIFT? YOU WON'T GET ANYTHING IN RETURN."
And you pressed "YES, THIS IS A GIFT."

[George Builder]

Originally posted by Sicck:

Originally posted by ducil:

Then how about like in America can you get arrested there for scamming items?

That would depend on some key factors. I haven't checked the steam subscriber agreement in a while but I think in regards to your items (much like your entire account) valve still owns the rights to them. That means that you really would not have much of a case since you don't even own the items that you were scammed of. Valve however may take legal action against the scammer for violating ToS and may try and get some damages out of them.

It is really hard to say in all honesty.

Ah, okay thanks for letting me know it!

[Wolf Knight]

Prove that I am at the computer typing this.
Prove that I am really human and not a plush meerkat cosplaying as Marvin the Martian
computers do make it hard to prove who is really committing the crime.

[HEART]

Very very odd question...

[Kargor]

Originally posted by ducil:

There is tons of scammers in steam and im wondering if you can get arrested for it.

I'm not a lawyer of any kind, but I can imagine that they could be charged with things like fraud.

Realistically, law enforcement doesn't care.

[George Builder]

Originally posted by MiSOKA⁴:

Very very odd question...

True but i need to find out.

[cinedine]

Originally posted by Wolf Knight:

Prove that I am at the computer typing this.
Prove that I am really human and not a plush meerkat cosplaying as Marvin the Martian
computers do make it hard to prove who is really committing the crime.

Depending on the country, this doesn't even matter. Germany has "Stoererhaftung", which makes you respsonsible for anything happening on the connection you provide. Same principle like some countries punishing the actual driver while some punish the vehicle holder.

@OP:
Yes, you can. Depending on how much law enforcement is willing to go after you. There was a guy in Britain who was convicted for SWATing an American user, using the American police force. That's what legal aid agreements are for.

[Mivo]

Originally posted by RHYMIN SIMON:

There are no scammers. People just gift away their stuff.

You could say that about many actionable fraud situations that relay on misleading the victim.

I'm pretty sure that scamming people on Steam is, at least in theory, actionable as there are items involved that have a monetary value. But as with many legal things, it would take some effort and dedication, possibly money (depending on country and legal system), to really get somewhere. Likely, it also depends on how many reports there are.

Proof is not difficult to obtain if Steam keeps logs, which they probably do, if there is a legal basis for obtaining that proof (by law enforcement).

[Start_Running]

Originally posted by Mivo:

Originally posted by RHYMIN SIMON:

There are no scammers. People just gift away their stuff.

You could say that about many actionable fraud situations that relay on misleading the victim.

I'm pretty sure that scamming people on Steam is, at least in theory, actionable as there are items involved that have a monetary value. But as with many legal things, it would take some effort and dedication, possibly money (depending on country and legal system), to really get somewhere. Likely, it also depends on how many reports there are.

Proof is not difficult to obtain if Steam keeps logs, which they probably do, if there is a legal basis for obtaining that proof (by law enforcement).

Not for the items. The items have no tangibility or permanance and their value is based 100% on speculative bubbles.

To answer your question OP. Yes. But very unlikely due to the fact that the perpetrator and victim may well be in different jurisdictions.. Of course steam can very well suspend your account for scamming and thusly the scammer loses access to all items.

[Drab]

Isn't trading outside the system agqainst the SSA? If it's not, it should be.

[liosalpha]

Originally posted by Drab:

Isn't trading outside the system agqainst the SSA? If it's not, it should be.

Its strongly adviced not to do so, for the obiviose scam options. but cant expect valve to stop you giving your lunch money to somone in rl/ outside steam