Scam or not ?

[@pepperize]

So i got massage from a non-friend steam user "ID #180 (Steam Support)
saying my account is temporarily banned and is under investigation
i need to verify my account using link they provide and move my items or they will be removed

i thought it was a scam, i checked their profile, i checked mine, my profile bio changed to "valve employee is verifying this account" and my friend were all gone, only got 1 friend which is this non friend account. the chat layout also different from normal chat you usually do. so i was conviced that this is a real steam support account

later then i asked him what happened, when will i get my item back, but he ignored me. then i asked steam support>my account>account data, but my ticket automaticly closed without any explanation and answer. I emailed them but they say they no longer support using email, i have to use the steam support from the web.

so i need some explanation here, anyone has the same experience ? am i being scammed or is this real ?

if i got scammed can i get my items back ? pls help

[Lilim]

Originally posted by @pepperize:

So i got massage...

It's a scam.

Originally posted by @pepperize:

i checked mine, my profile bio changed to "valve employee is verifying this account"

Your account is compromised.

Do not trade until your account is secured.

Take the following steps to secure your account:

1. Scan for malware. https://www.malwarebytes.com/
2. Check that the email and phone number on the Steam account are still yours.
3. Deauthorize all other devices. https://store.steampowered.com/twofactor/manage
4. Change passwords from a clean computer.
5. Generate new backup codes for your Mobile App. https://store.steampowered.com/twofactor/manage
6. Revoke the API key (there should be no key). https://steamcommunity.com/dev/apikey


Steam does not return inventory items or wallet funds.

Steam Item Restoration Policy

[@pepperize]

Originally posted by Lilim:

Originally posted by @pepperize:

So i got massage...

It's a scam.

if its a scam, how can they remove and bring back my friend ? also can i retrieve my item back ?

[Lilim]

Originally posted by @pepperize:

Originally posted by Lilim:

It's a scam.

if its a scam, how can they remove and bring back my friend ? also can i retrieve my item back ?

I updated my reply.

Your account is compromised. Secure your account!

You can not retrieve your items.

[J4MESOX4D]

Originally posted by @pepperize:

Originally posted by Lilim:

It's a scam.

if its a scam, how can they remove and bring back my friend ? also can i retrieve my item back ?

Because the scammers have access to your account and they are fooling you into thinking you are 'banned'. Secure your account with the above steps.

[sandokanski]

If you doubt, it is a scam.
In this case obvious one.

Edit: BTW, Steam has no need to prove anything to you. Only scammers need to do so to gain your trust.

[Lilim]

Originally posted by @pepperize:

...but my ticket automaticly closed without any explanation and answer.

Closed by a Malicious Individual

A ticket can be considered to have been maliciously closed when someone other than the person submitting the ticket closes it.

If your support tickets are being closed without response from the Steam Support team, and you're not closing them yourself, it's likely that someone else is closing them - perhaps maliciously. In the very rare cases where this happens, it can usually be attributed to an account hijacker that is trying to make recovery difficult for the account owner. While this is a serious situation when it comes up, it's also usually a simple matter of securing your computer and email account before getting back in touch with Steam Support to recover your Steam account.

My Steam Support ticket was closed and I don't know why

[rawWwRrr]

Originally posted by @pepperize:

the chat layout also different from normal chat you usually do. so i was conviced that this is a real steam support account

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3367841871

[@pepperize]

Originally posted by Lilim:

Originally posted by @pepperize:

if its a scam, how can they remove and bring back my friend ? also can i retrieve my item back ?

I updated my reply.

Your account is compromised. Secure your account!

You can not retrieve your items.

Originally posted by J4MESOX4D:

Originally posted by @pepperize:

if its a scam, how can they remove and bring back my friend ? also can i retrieve my item back ?

Because the scammers have access to your account and they are fooling you into thinking you are 'banned'. Secure your account with the above steps.

Originally posted by sandokanski:

If you doubt, it is a scam.
In this case obvious one.

Well they got me. I was so convinced because i thought they cant change my account info even delete all my friends and bring them back.
they proved me wrong.
thank you guys.

but seriously, i was using steam app, but all my friend were gone, and then back. if i was using browser i know you can edit it in inspect element, but steam app ? they got me here

[@pepperize]

Originally posted by rawWwRrr:

Originally posted by @pepperize:

the chat layout also different from normal chat you usually do. so i was conviced that this is a real steam support account

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3367841871

didnt know we could do that, damn..

[sandokanski]

Originally posted by @pepperize:

Well they got me. I was so convinced because i thought they cant change my account info even delete all my friends and bring them back.
they proved me wrong.
thank you guys.

but seriously, i was using steam app, but all my friend were gone, and then back. if i was using browser i know you can edit it in inspect element, but steam app ? they got me here

Lesson learned? It is not as bad as some people can get scammed IRL for tens of thousands of dollars.
Steam has nothing to prove to you, it's the other way around. You have to prove to Steam, So basically if someone is trying to prove to you they are Steam Support, they are just trying to gain your trust. And they did. Next time ask yourself questions, when you feel stress. They do that, to shut down your thinking and make you do something in a hurry.
So, if you are afraid that you may lose your Steam account, for example, ask yourself would Steam go around and threaten people? The answer is obviously no. They will outright ban you and you'll have to contact them.

[@pepperize]

Originally posted by sandokanski:

Originally posted by @pepperize:

Well they got me. I was so convinced because i thought they cant change my account info even delete all my friends and bring them back.
they proved me wrong.
thank you guys.

but seriously, i was using steam app, but all my friend were gone, and then back. if i was using browser i know you can edit it in inspect element, but steam app ? they got me here

Lesson learned? It is not as bad as some people can get scammed IRL for tens of thousands of dollars.
Steam has nothing to prove to you, it's the other way around. You have to prove to Steam, So basically if someone is trying to prove to you they are Steam Support, they are just trying to gain your trust. And they did. Next time ask yourself questions, when you feel stress. They do that, to shut down your thinking and make you do something in a hurry.
So, if you are afraid that you may lose your Steam account, for example, ask yourself would Steam go around and threaten people? The answer is obviously no. They will outright ban you and you'll have to contact them.

i wasnt conviced at first, i thought it was a scam. i checked everything and still wasnt sure.
the thing is, i know i got malware a few days back. i got banned from plenty platform because they use my account to sent links. i cleaned everything and changed my passwords. then a couple days later this steam support chat pops up. i thought they did something to my steam account that i didnt know, and i finally i get the warning and will get banned from steam like other webs, they got me here. and the rest is what i just posted above.. yeah i lost thousand dollars worth of items, but lesson learned

[Lilim]

Originally posted by @pepperize:

i wasnt conviced at first, i thought it was a scam...

The next time you think something is a scam, you should immediately ask about it in the forum.

Originally posted by @pepperize:

...yeah i lost thousand dollars worth of items, but lesson learned

I'm sorry that happened to you .

[sandokanski]

Originally posted by @pepperize:

yeah i lost thousand dollars worth of items, but lesson learned

I have to imagine it, as I don't really believe in digital item value, but that must feel really awful, as you obviously do believe in it. Yeah, it really sucks. And they will use probably some of those money to scam more people, which is even worse.

[@pepperize]

Originally posted by Lilim:

Originally posted by @pepperize:

i wasnt conviced at first, i thought it was a scam...

The next time you think something is a scam, you should immediately ask about it in the forum.

they use the "do it in 2 minutes or your account will get banned",
also i never use forum, so it wasn't an option at that moment. i will ask next time. thank you

[nullable]

Originally posted by @pepperize:

i wasnt conviced at first, i thought it was a scam. i checked everything and still wasnt sure.
the thing is, i know i got malware a few days back. i got banned from plenty platform because they use my account to sent links. i cleaned everything and changed my passwords. then a couple days later this steam support chat pops up. i thought they did something to my steam account that i didnt know, and i finally i get the warning and will get banned from steam like other webs, they got me here. and the rest is what i just posted above.. yeah i lost thousand dollars worth of items, but lesson learned

If you didn't initialize a conversation with support that's a red flag. Any time "support" needs your help to manage your account in any way that's a red flag.

Valve would never need to use threat, or frighten you into acting as they demand. Think very carefully. Who built the entire system? Valve? And Valve made it so they can't manage their own system? They need a users help to manage the data they have absolute control over?

The only people who need participation from you are scammers.

This is true the world over, for any accounts on any system. And regardless of the facade of a scam, they all follow the same formulas. Get a handle on the fundamentals of scams and there's no amount of disguise that can conceal those.

Scams will always rely on exploiting your fear or greed, sometimes both. No legitimate interaction with any business will rely on those things. But scams always will. Fear and greed are powerful motivators, which makes them very effective tools for scammers.

If you review your experience, beyond the specifics of the script and props. And just look at the fundamental structure, I'm sure you can see how fear and greed were used against you.

Once you're able to do that, you can cut through all the crap and keep the problem simple. And simple is the name of the game.