Someone Bought with My Account an Item for $160 Which Is Worth Less Than $1

[NizarG]

I recently discovered that someone accessed my Steam account without my consent and purchased an item on the Marketplace for $160, even though the item is worth less than $1. I have no idea who did this or how they managed to bypass my account security, which already included two-factor authentication. To make matters worse, I can’t even report the person since I don’t know who they are, and Steam doesn’t provide an easy way to address such incidents. It’s shocking that Steam allows such extreme overpricing without any checks in place, making it possible for scammers to exploit users. Additionally, I don’t understand why there isn’t a double-check or confirmation process for high-value purchases, which could have prevented this. I’ve contacted Steam Support and changed my passwords, but I’m left wondering how to get a refund and ensure this doesn’t happen again. Any advice or shared experiences would be greatly appreciated!

[FFL2and3rocks]

All market transactions are final, you can't get a refund. You must've logged into a phishing website at some point.

[peppermint hollows]

Follow these steps IMMEDIATELY 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 will not refund you for this. In the future, you need to be more careful with your account security and avoid common scam and phishing vectors - some common ones are: 3rd party websites which ask for your login information; messages from users on Steam or Discord that say any of the following: "I accidentally reported your account" "Free 50$ gift card link" "Vote for my team" "Vote for my workshop submission" "Your account is under investigation for fraud" etc.

[NizarG]

Why does Steam allow or even enable these scammers? How can an item worth $1 be listed and sold for $160? A reasonable price range, like 10% higher or lower, makes sense—but such an extreme difference is unacceptable. Shouldn’t Steam take responsibility for monitoring these absurd listings? And yet, they refuse to refund an item I didn’t even authorize purchasing.

[NizarG]

引用自 peppermint hollows：

Follow these steps IMMEDIATELY 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 will not refund you for this. In the future, you need to be more careful with your account security and avoid common scam and phishing vectors - some common ones are: 3rd party websites which ask for your login information; messages from users on Steam or Discord that say any of the following: "I accidentally reported your account" "Free 50$ gift card link" "Vote for my team" "Vote for my workshop submission" "Your account is under investigation for fraud" etc.

Why does Steam allow or even enable these scammers? How can an item worth $1 be listed and sold for $160? A reasonable price range, like 10% higher or lower, makes sense—but such an extreme difference is unacceptable. Shouldn’t Steam take responsibility for monitoring these absurd listings? And yet, they refuse to refund an item I didn’t even authorize purchasing.

[Wayward]

引用自 NizarG：

引用自 peppermint hollows：

Follow these steps IMMEDIATELY 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 will not refund you for this. In the future, you need to be more careful with your account security and avoid common scam and phishing vectors - some common ones are: 3rd party websites which ask for your login information; messages from users on Steam or Discord that say any of the following: "I accidentally reported your account" "Free 50$ gift card link" "Vote for my team" "Vote for my workshop submission" "Your account is under investigation for fraud" etc.

Why does Steam allow or even enable these scammers? How can an item worth $1 be listed and sold for $160? A reasonable price range, like 10% higher or lower, makes sense—but such an extreme difference is unacceptable. Shouldn’t Steam take responsibility for monitoring these absurd listings? And yet, they refuse to refund an item I didn’t even authorize purchasing.

Shouldn't users take responsibility for not securing their own accounts?

[NizarG]

引用自 Wayward：

引用自 NizarG：

Why does Steam allow or even enable these scammers? How can an item worth $1 be listed and sold for $160? A reasonable price range, like 10% higher or lower, makes sense—but such an extreme difference is unacceptable. Shouldn’t Steam take responsibility for monitoring these absurd listings? And yet, they refuse to refund an item I didn’t even authorize purchasing.

Shouldn't users take responsibility for not securing their own accounts?

it’s unrealistic to place the full burden on them. Many people are busy or new to the platform and may not fully understand the security features available. Steam, as a trusted platform, has a responsibility to actively minimize scams and protect its users. Allowing an item to be listed at 160 times its market value is a clear sign of scam promotion, and failing to implement safeguards—such as phone or email verification for high-value purchases—creates opportunities for fraud. It’s essential for Steam to step up and enforce measures that prevent such exploitation, ensuring a safer experience for all users.

[Dan5000]

Unrealistic? You can expect very basic understanding of how to handle your own account information and keep yourself secure. They've already got multiple locks on your account, making it more annoying for any user that doesn't fall for scams and it still happens. Adding even more locks will just make these people hand over more and more keys to get scammed even then.

There are only 3 ways for others to get into your account:

1. You either got infected and had malware steal your active session, which means steam thinks it is your own doing. (Or you logged in on another infected machine)

2. You entered your login + Steam Guard code somewhere you were not supposed to. (Scanning the QR code to login does the same)

3. Someone else has/had physical access to your devices. (Or you forgot to logout after being in an internet café etc.)

You can't deny all 3 of these, its impossible to get into your account otherwise.

All of these point to the user not being careful enough. You wouldn't hand the keys to your home to strangers, why would you do so with accountinformation?

[Lithurge]

引用自 NizarG：

it’s unrealistic to place the full burden on them. Many people are busy or new to the platform and may not fully understand the security features available. Steam, as a trusted platform, has a responsibility to actively minimize scams and protect its users.

You want it to change then you need to get your politicians to do something about it. Banks only refund after people fall for fraudulent scams because there's legislation (dependent on country) that forces them to do so. Even then there are circumstances where they are not required to do so because it's clearly the customers fault.

Steam won't change until they're forced to and I suspect any legislation along these lines will simply mean the removal of market features for whatever country implements them.

[J4MESOX4D]

引用自 NizarG：

引用自 peppermint hollows：

Follow these steps IMMEDIATELY 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 will not refund you for this. In the future, you need to be more careful with your account security and avoid common scam and phishing vectors - some common ones are: 3rd party websites which ask for your login information; messages from users on Steam or Discord that say any of the following: "I accidentally reported your account" "Free 50$ gift card link" "Vote for my team" "Vote for my workshop submission" "Your account is under investigation for fraud" etc.

Why does Steam allow or even enable these scammers?

You enabled them by allowing your account to become compromised. Scammers will always exist in this world but Steam provides all the tools necessary to prevent them in the first instance. You fail at this hurdle and then bad things will happen.

[NizarG]

引用自 Dan5000：

Unrealistic? You can expect very basic understanding of how to handle your own account information and keep yourself secure. They've already got multiple locks on your account, making it more annoying for any user that doesn't fall for scams and it still happens. Adding even more locks will just make these people hand over more and more keys to get scammed even then.

There are only 3 ways for others to get into your account:

1. You either got infected and had malware steal your active session, which means steam thinks it is your own doing. (Or you logged in on another infected machine)

2. You entered your login + Steam Guard code somewhere you were not supposed to. (Scanning the QR code to login does the same)

3. Someone else has/had physical access to your devices. (Or you forgot to logout after being in an internet café etc.)

You can't deny all 3 of these, its impossible to get into your account otherwise.

All of these point to the user not being careful enough. You wouldn't hand the keys to your home to strangers, why would you do so with accountinformation?

You’re right that being careless or unaware of malware on my PC is on me, and I take responsibility for that. However, this still doesn’t excuse Steam’s lack of proper security measures. Allowing items to be sold at massively inflated prices without oversight and failing to double-check high-value transactions with phone or email verification makes it far too easy for scammers to exploit the system. On top of that, I can’t even report the seller. The purchase history shows the item was bought from someone with the name "john2a2," but there’s no option to report them directly. Steam’s current setup leaves users vulnerable and with little recourse when things go wrong.

[NizarG]

引用自 Lithurge：

引用自 NizarG：

it’s unrealistic to place the full burden on them. Many people are busy or new to the platform and may not fully understand the security features available. Steam, as a trusted platform, has a responsibility to actively minimize scams and protect its users.

You want it to change then you need to get your politicians to do something about it. Banks only refund after people fall for fraudulent scams because there's legislation (dependent on country) that forces them to do so. Even then there are circumstances where they are not required to do so because it's clearly the customers fault.

Steam won't change until they're forced to and I suspect any legislation along these lines will simply mean the removal of market features for whatever country implements them.

The solution doesn’t have to be extreme, like removing market features. Simple measures—such as flagging items priced excessively high, requiring verification for purchases over a certain amount, and offering better reporting tools—would go a long way in protecting users without disrupting the marketplace. Waiting for governments to act only delays progress, and Steam could lead by example here, showing they value their users' security and experience.

[Wayward]

引用自 NizarG：

引用自 Lithurge：

You want it to change then you need to get your politicians to do something about it. Banks only refund after people fall for fraudulent scams because there's legislation (dependent on country) that forces them to do so. Even then there are circumstances where they are not required to do so because it's clearly the customers fault.

Steam won't change until they're forced to and I suspect any legislation along these lines will simply mean the removal of market features for whatever country implements them.

The solution doesn’t have to be extreme, like removing market features. Simple measures—such as flagging items priced excessively high, requiring verification for purchases over a certain amount, and offering better reporting tools—would go a long way in protecting users without disrupting the marketplace. Waiting for governments to act only delays progress, and Steam could lead by example here, showing they value their users' security and experience.

Waiting for Steam to implement features to babysit careless users also only delays progress.

[Nx Machina]

引用自 NizarG：

I have no idea who did this or how they managed to bypass my account security, which already included two-factor authentication.

They did not bypass your security. You gave them access by giving them all your account details.

The account name, the password and the KEY to the door, the Steam Guard Mobile code, or scanning the QR code or authorising via fingerprint giving them access to the account.

How? by either logging into a known scam site or sites, tailored malware on your PC, the vote for my team scam, you have a pending ban scam on Discord, free knife click the link, signing in through a fake login window etc.

How does Steam (a program) know it is not you when all the account details are correct? It doesn't, therefore any action taken on your account is seen as you doing said actions.

The alternative is not plausible:

1) Someone would have to "GUESS" your account name from "millions of possible combinations".

2) Next they would have to "GUESS" your password from "millions of possible combinations" and then match it to your account name with "millions of possible combinations".

3) And finally they would have to "GUESS" the Steam Guard Mobile code "which changes every 30 seconds" to match both your account name and password to then have access your account.

[Dr.Shadowds 🐉]

引用自 NizarG：

I recently discovered that someone accessed my Steam account without my consent and purchased an item on the Marketplace for $160, even though the item is worth less than $1. I have no idea who did this or how they managed to bypass my account security, which already included two-factor authentication. To make matters worse, I can’t even report the person since I don’t know who they are, and Steam doesn’t provide an easy way to address such incidents. It’s shocking that Steam allows such extreme overpricing without any checks in place, making it possible for scammers to exploit users. Additionally, I don’t understand why there isn’t a double-check or confirmation process for high-value purchases, which could have prevented this. I’ve contacted Steam Support and changed my passwords, but I’m left wondering how to get a refund and ensure this doesn’t happen again. Any advice or shared experiences would be greatly appreciated!

All you can do is open a ticket on your transaction, and see what happens, but likely they just give you FAQ, and inform you about scam sites, and stuff that out there.


You may not get any items traded back, but money you loaded might get return.

Also my advice just stop logging via 3rd party sites, using weird unknown apps claiming to be safe for Steam linking login, or downloading random things from others, or from the internet.

Got scammers doing EVERYTHING you can imagine they will do just to trick someone to login, give info, or download virus from them.

- Vote for my team scam.
- You won a prize, or visit link for free gift, or whatever story to click link to login via scam site.
- You have pending ban, or been reported scam.
- Try my demo, or whatever story to get you to download.
- People looking for cheats, or pirate things, or mods from unsecured sites can fall for virus.
- Sharing login info with others, or logging in on other devices that not yours that get your account compromised.

[NizarG]

引用自 Dr.Shadowds 🐉：

引用自 NizarG：

I recently discovered that someone accessed my Steam account without my consent and purchased an item on the Marketplace for $160, even though the item is worth less than $1. I have no idea who did this or how they managed to bypass my account security, which already included two-factor authentication. To make matters worse, I can’t even report the person since I don’t know who they are, and Steam doesn’t provide an easy way to address such incidents. It’s shocking that Steam allows such extreme overpricing without any checks in place, making it possible for scammers to exploit users. Additionally, I don’t understand why there isn’t a double-check or confirmation process for high-value purchases, which could have prevented this. I’ve contacted Steam Support and changed my passwords, but I’m left wondering how to get a refund and ensure this doesn’t happen again. Any advice or shared experiences would be greatly appreciated!

All you can do is open a ticket on your transaction, and see what happens, but likely they just give you FAQ, and inform you about scam sites, and stuff that out there.


You may not get any items traded back, but money you loaded might get return.

Also my advice just stop logging via 3rd party sites, using weird unknown apps claiming to be safe for Steam linking login, or downloading random things from others, or from the internet.

Got scammers doing EVERYTHING you can imagine they will do just to trick someone to login, give info, or download virus from them.

- Vote for my team scam.
- You won a prize, or visit link for free gift, or whatever story to click link to login via scam site.
- You have pending ban, or been reported scam.
- Try my demo, or whatever story to get you to download.
- People looking for cheats, or pirate things, or mods from unsecured sites can fall for virus.
- Sharing login info with others, or logging in on other devices that not yours that get your account compromised.

How do I open a ticket? The money was in my Steam Wallet. Is there any chance of recovering it? The item they bought was a useless $1 Dota item.

Your message suggests opening a ticket about the transaction. Could you clarify the steps for opening a ticket? Do you think there's a realistic chance of getting my money refunded, even if the item can't be returned?