Trade banned for no reason

[javis]

Some dude was pm'ing me asking for my CS knife. I told him no and I got mass reported for scamming, something I have never done. Steam told me to trade my items so I didn't lose them permanently, and yet when I sent my items to a friend it tells me the trade was accepted but it tells my friend the trade was cancelled. Items not in my inventory and and they don't seem them in theirs. I need help bad.

[fluxtorrent]

your account is compromised and you just fell for a very common scam

[Crazy Tiger]

You got your account compromised and then fell for a scam.

Secure your account, do these steps NOW and don't trade:
- Scan for malware. https://www.malwarebytes.com/
- Deauthorize all devices https://store.steampowered.com/twofactor/manage
- Change your password on a secure device.
- Generate new back up codes. https://store.steampowered.com/twofactor/manage
- Revoke the api key https://steamcommunity.com/dev/apikey

Account security is the responsibility of the account holder. Read up on phishing so this doesn't happen again.

Items are gone, they do not get returned. The item restoration policy: https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=9958-MJDG-3003

[javis]

Originally posted by fluxtorrent:

your account is compromised and you just fell for a very common scam

I was literally given a steam pop up on my account telling me I'd be trade restricted in an hour and that I would lose my items if they were't given to a friend

[Joke]

There was no "mass reporting". The guy just lied to you.

You were not talking to a Steam representative. It was just the scammer himself.

[javis]

Originally posted by Crazy Tiger:

You got your account compromised and then fell for a scam.

Secure your account, do these steps NOW and don't trade:
- Scan for malware. https://www.malwarebytes.com/
- Deauthorize all devices https://store.steampowered.com/twofactor/manage
- Change your password on a secure device.
- Generate new back up codes. https://store.steampowered.com/twofactor/manage
- Revoke the api key https://steamcommunity.com/dev/apikey

Account security is the responsibility of the account holder. Read up on phishing so this doesn't happen again.

Items are gone, they do not get returned. The item restoration policy: https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=9958-MJDG-3003

I don't see how my account could've been compromised when I have steam guard enabled. Where's the scam if the trade went to a friend of mine, that I know very well?

[javis]

Originally posted by Joke:

There was no "mass reporting". The guy just lied to you.

You were not talking to a Steam representative. It was just the scammer himself.

I never said I was talking to a steak rep. I did get mass reported. After 2 minutes there were multiple comments on my profile saying not to trade with me as I'm a scammer. I made my profile private and was given a Notification on STEAM that my account has been restricted

[Crazy Tiger]

Originally posted by 76561198080702884:

Originally posted by fluxtorrent:

your account is compromised and you just fell for a very common scam

I was literally given a steam pop up on my account telling me I'd be trade restricted in an hour and that I would lose my items if they were't given to a friend

You really think Steam gives you a heads up when you're going to get banned? Or to give you the opportunity to move items when trade bans usually are for scamming?

That pop-up was fake.

Originally posted by 76561198080702884:

Originally posted by Crazy Tiger:

You got your account compromised and then fell for a scam.

Secure your account, do these steps NOW and don't trade:
- Scan for malware. https://www.malwarebytes.com/
- Deauthorize all devices https://store.steampowered.com/twofactor/manage
- Change your password on a secure device.
- Generate new back up codes. https://store.steampowered.com/twofactor/manage
- Revoke the api key https://steamcommunity.com/dev/apikey

Account security is the responsibility of the account holder. Read up on phishing so this doesn't happen again.

Items are gone, they do not get returned. The item restoration policy: https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=9958-MJDG-3003

I don't see how my account could've been compromised when I have steam guard enabled. Where's the scam if the trade went to a friend of mine, that I know very well?

Phishing is a very common way that people get their account compromised. Steam guard is just another code and when you get phished you give away login name, password and then active guard code. A bot will immediately log in on the account.
Malware is another.

The scam is that they want you to initiate a trade, which they cancel in the background and replace with a trade to an account of their own that impersonates your friend. They can do that because they have access to your account. They need you to initiate and confirm the trade, which you did as per your own admission.

This is a very common scam.

[Joke]

But the trade didn't go to your friend, as you discovered.

Some time in the past you probably entered your steam account name/password/steam guard code into a fake steam login page.
* Do you trade/gamble on 3rd part sites?
* Did a friend ask you to vote for him/his team?
* ??? Something else.

He then used those to login himself to your account.
One of the things he did was to add an API key to your account, which allowed him to intercept the trade you intended to do with your friend. He cancelled the trade, and created a new one that made you trade with him instead.
His account was made to look like your friends, with the same name, profile pic etc. so you didn't notice.

[javis]

Originally posted by Crazy Tiger:

Originally posted by 76561198080702884:

I was literally given a steam pop up on my account telling me I'd be trade restricted in an hour and that I would lose my items if they were't given to a friend

You really think Steam gives you a heads up when you're going to get banned? Or to give you the opportunity to move items when trade bans usually are for scamming?

That pop-up was fake.

Originally posted by 76561198080702884:

I don't see how my account could've been compromised when I have steam guard enabled. Where's the scam if the trade went to a friend of mine, that I know very well?

Phishing is a very common way that people get their account compromised. Steam guard is just another code and when you get phished you give away login name, password and then active guard code. A bot will immediately log in on the account.
Malware is another.

The scam is that they want you to initiate a trade, which they cancel in the background and replace with a trade to an account of their own that impersonates your friend. They can do that because they have access to your account. They need you to initiate and confirm the trade, which you did as per your own admission.

This is a very common scam.

I didn't give out my credentials or even offer a trade to the guy. All communications were through pms and thats the extent of the whole ordeal. I was literally on the phone with my friend, the one i sent the trade to in order to save my skins, and he received the trade but didnt get the items after accepting.

[Wizardhermit]

Originally posted by 76561198080702884:

Originally posted by fluxtorrent:

your account is compromised and you just fell for a very common scam

I was literally given a steam pop up on my account telling me I'd be trade restricted in an hour and that I would lose my items if they were't given to a friend

They didn't go to your friend though, they went to the scammer and now your items are gone forever.

[javis]

Originally posted by Joke:

But the trade didn't go to your friend, as you discovered.

Some time in the past you probably entered your steam account name/password/steam guard code into a fake steam login page.
* Do you trade/gamble on 3rd part sites?
* Did a friend ask you to vote for him/his team?
* ??? Something else.

He then used those to login himself to your account.
One of the things he did was to add an API key to your account, which allowed him to intercept the trade you intended to do with your friend. He cancelled the trade, and created a new one that made you trade with him instead.
His account was made to look like your friends, with the same name, profile pic etc. so you didn't notice.

Okay so if i did fall for a scam how has my account been restricted?

[Wizardhermit]

Originally posted by 76561198080702884:

Originally posted by Joke:

But the trade didn't go to your friend, as you discovered.

Some time in the past you probably entered your steam account name/password/steam guard code into a fake steam login page.
* Do you trade/gamble on 3rd part sites?
* Did a friend ask you to vote for him/his team?
* ??? Something else.

He then used those to login himself to your account.
One of the things he did was to add an API key to your account, which allowed him to intercept the trade you intended to do with your friend. He cancelled the trade, and created a new one that made you trade with him instead.
His account was made to look like your friends, with the same name, profile pic etc. so you didn't notice.

Okay so if i did fall for a scam how has my account been restricted?

Your account was never "restricted". The scammer gained access to your account probably thourgh a 3rd party skin trading/gambling site that had a fake steam login that you entered all your information on, then wrote that on your account.


A Trade API scam usually works as follows:

The scammer gets your Steam Web API Key. This is obtained when you log into a Fake Steam log in on a scam website.

The next time you make a trade, the scammer (a bot) uses this API key to cancel the trade.
The scammer (a bot) sets up another profile that looks exactly like the account you're trying to trade to. It creates a new trade to this bot account, this all happens very fast.

You hit accept on your Mobile Authenticator, and the scam is done - congratulations! you've just sent your items to an unknown 3rd party!

Scammed items are not returned.

Morel of the story... Stop using trading sites outside of Steam, they are all scams.

[Joke]

It doesn't look restricted.

There is some text left on your profile, that the scammer entered. (using the normal function to edit your profile. ) Did it say something about you being restricted before?

You can edit this text yourself, and so can the scammer because he's still logged into your account.

Make sure to do the steps listed by Crazy Tiger in post 2.

[javis]

So it does seem that my account was breached. I don't know how this could've happened, are there big CS sites that are scams?

[Phoenix]

Your profile literally still reads

Hello, swagermcdaddy! We are sorry. The error happened on our side. Your account has been reset. Thank you for using Steam!

That's not Valve. Valve does not and has no reason to communicate to you using your profile description. They have a ticket system and community messages for this.

Secure your account, and stop giving away your account credentials to third parties.