Recovery of Items lost through Scams

[SmartRogue]

Last month I was scammed into an "item verification" con and before they could take all my items, I recognized it, and reported the individuals to Steam and Discord, as both programs were being used to perform it. Since then, I have gotten emails saying that the culprits were banned from trading, but other than that, there was no help in getting my items returned.

I am aware that there is a "Steam Item Restoration Policy", or rather, a lack of one. Steam does NOT restore any items you lose, even if you have sufficient evidence showing specifically what items were taken. Additionally, the reason for the denial of such service was given to me as "duplicating items would lower the value of other items on the Marketplace". I find this excuse to be utterly appalling and self-serving; instead of helping a loyal customer who was tricked by one of their other, less scrupulous customers posing as a Valve employee, they would rather prioritize the "economy" for virtual items. Instead of actual help, they give me "Security" advice, basically putting the blame on me for being tricked. I was being threatened with a Report/Banned account and did not trade away my items with the promise of earning a profit, I seriously thought my account was in danger.

This post is basically an expression of my frustration at this company for this irresponsible handling of a situation that they created. They can ban all the accounts they want, but in the end, the bad guy wins because they still had time to pawn off all the items they took and the consequences of their actions are a pittance to what I and many others may have lost. And if they get banned before they can sell the items, they couldn't care less because they had no emotional attachment to the items they took, and are lost forever to the parties they took it from. They can always make a new account, while I am forever reminded of my items missing from my inventory.

It doesn't matter how many security checkpoints you put into your system, if a person can figure out a way through them, or even POSE as one of the employees who imposed the security in the first place, you might as well not have them. There will ALWAYS be con men and cheats, but if you do not have a way to ensure that those who were cheated are not made whole again, then what is the point of trusting this company?

[Start_Running]

Not gonna happen.
People need to learn the hard way not to be idiots.

[FFL2and3rocks]

There are plenty of warnings already to prevent you from getting scammed. "I am a Valve employee, give me your items or else!" is one of the oldest tricks in the book.

[Zekiran]

There's a reason they do not do this.

Compelling reasons in fact.

[Judgmental Amaterasu]

Originally posted by Napalm:

Last month I was scammed into an "item verification" con and before they could take all my items, I recognized it, and reported the individuals to Steam and Discord, as both programs were being used to perform it. Since then, I have gotten emails saying that the culprits were banned from trading, but other than that, there was no help in getting my items returned.

I am aware that there is a "Steam Item Restoration Policy", or rather, a lack of one. Steam does NOT restore any items you lose, even if you have sufficient evidence showing specifically what items were taken. Additionally, the reason for the denial of such service was given to me as "duplicating items would lower the value of other items on the Marketplace". I find this excuse to be utterly appalling and self-serving; instead of helping a loyal customer who was tricked by one of their other, less scrupulous customers posing as a Valve employee, they would rather prioritize the "economy" for virtual items. Instead of actual help, they give me "Security" advice, basically putting the blame on me for being tricked. I was being threatened with a Report/Banned account and did not trade away my items with the promise of earning a profit, I seriously thought my account was in danger.

This post is basically an expression of my frustration at this company for this irresponsible handling of a situation that they created. They can ban all the accounts they want, but in the end, the bad guy wins because they still had time to pawn off all the items they took and the consequences of their actions are a pittance to what I and many others may have lost. And if they get banned before they can sell the items, they couldn't care less because they had no emotional attachment to the items they took, and are lost forever to the parties they took it from. They can always make a new account, while I am forever reminded of my items missing from my inventory.

It doesn't matter how many security checkpoints you put into your system, if a person can figure out a way through them, or even POSE as one of the employees who imposed the security in the first place, you might as well not have them. There will ALWAYS be con men and cheats, but if you do not have a way to ensure that those who were cheated are not made whole again, then what is the point of trusting this company?

Steam didn't create the situation. idiots falling for obvious scams created the situation.

[SmartRogue]

Really appreciate the FANTASTIC support guys. /s

Pouring my heart out here only to be called an idiot. Did you ever think that maybe they were convincing enough to pull it off? You weren't the one scammed, you don't know what it was like. And you say there are "compelling reasons" they don't restore items, but you don't say so. Real helpful. So glad you took your time to comment a "compelling" argument.

[Zekiran]

Why not do a forum search.

This thread comes up weekly.

The reasons are: SCAMMERS ARE ♥♥♥♥♥, and they are why you aren't ever gonna get your items restored.

People abused the system. You don't get to change that system because "we'll be nice! promise".

[SmartRogue]

Originally posted by Zekiran:

Why not do a forum search.

This thread comes up weekly.

The reasons are: SCAMMERS ARE ♥♥♥♥♥, and they are why you aren't ever gonna get your items restored.

People abused the system. You don't get to change that system because "we'll be nice! promise".

This was the first and last time I have been scammed. I do not intend for it to happen again, nor will I ever trade my items again because of it. I don't expect to change the system because I expect the scammers to change their tune to "be nice", I expect it to change because that is what a good company does when their product fails to help their actual customers who have been loyal for years and done nothing but support them. I have been seriously mentally exhausted that you can call it trauma because of this nonsense and just want to be made whole again.

[Zekiran]

The "good company" was getting REAMED for those "people who really didn't mean to get scammed can we please have the items back promise we're not the scammers on another account honest, we're only making thousands in sales to other greedy players with them over and over again".

Steam had this feature in good faith that the users wouldn't abuse it.

GUESS WHAT HAPPENED.

[SmartRogue]

Originally posted by Zekiran:

The "good company" was getting REAMED for those "people who really didn't mean to get scammed can we please have the items back promise we're not the scammers on another account honest, we're only making thousands in sales to other greedy players with them over and over again".

Steam had this feature in good faith that the users wouldn't abuse it.

GUESS WHAT HAPPENED.

That was then, this was now. After years of security implementations, they can at least TRY to perform item restorations again. My items are also so dated, they probably won't even effect the Marketplace, and I just want them for sentimental value. I just want my things back.

[76561198407601200]

Originally posted by Napalm:

Originally posted by Zekiran:

Why not do a forum search.

This thread comes up weekly.

The reasons are: SCAMMERS ARE ♥♥♥♥♥, and they are why you aren't ever gonna get your items restored.

People abused the system. You don't get to change that system because "we'll be nice! promise".

This was the first and last time I have been scammed. I do not intend for it to happen again, nor will I ever trade my items again because of it. I don't expect to change the system because I expect the scammers to change their tune to "be nice", I expect it to change because that is what a good company does when their product fails to help their actual customers who have been loyal for years and done nothing but support them. I have been seriously mentally exhausted that you can call it trauma because of this nonsense and just want to be made whole again.

Welp, just consider it a lesson learned (hopefully). Seeing as you seem so sure that you will not be scammed going forward, it wouldn't matter if the policy is changed or not. Regarding any others who are unfortunate enough to lack common sense, they too will have a lesson learned. You have to remember the one glaring and obvious fact, steam already has a system in place to prevent scamming using the trade window. When you place an item and trade (with the other party not placing items for trade) it will warn you that you are gifting the item. If THAT is too complicated for some to follow, then the results of their ignorance is well-deserved.

[vadim]

@OP: no one obliged to return items that you lost because of your own fault. Current Steam return policy is the best and I hope it never will be changed.

[Zekiran]

Originally posted by Napalm:

That was then, this was now. After years of security implementations, they can at least TRY to perform item restorations again. My items are also so dated, they probably won't even effect the Marketplace, and I just want them for sentimental value. I just want my things back.

And?

Your sentimentality does not trump millions of users having abused the system.

Their sentimentality does not either.

Keep better track of your things.
I'm sorry that you lost things you wanted to keep. But... this is still at minimum 50% your doing, by virtue of greed, ignorance, or willfully throwing your information out there where scammers collect it. Being suckered into trading, posting your login anywhere other than where it's meant to be, sharing your computer, any of those things puts accounts at risk.

The sheer volume of entitlement from people who think they are the straw that will somehow break the camel's back of 'unfair not returning things'... it's amazing.

You'll get over it.

[76561198407601200]

Originally posted by Zekiran:

The sheer volume of entitlement from people who think they are the straw that will somehow break the camel's back of 'unfair not returning things'... it's amazing.

Isn't that how it always is? Look at the few (relative to the userbase) people who complained about the new ui, stating "this will be the downfall of steam!", yet the userbase has increased since then. A more personal example is regarding a client at work. They were using our software improperly and received results that they felt weren't satisfactory. Despite I explained to them exactly what they were doing wrong and how to fix it, they were short-tempered. I got the old "You guys have really dropped the ball and I can't see many people staying with you". He did in fact terminate his contract with us and left for another company. Not a month later I walk into the office to see a big grin on a co-worker's face only for him to say "Guess who came crawling back?". Long story short, he did in fact come back with us because (from the grapevine) he tried a couple of different companies, they weren't exactly top shelf. We have also gained an exceptional number of clients since then and in fact had to hire more staff due to that.

[kitt]

you know about the no return policy and sitll complain about no helpt for returning your ♥♥♥♥?

no wonder you got scammed..

[Crazy Tiger]

Originally posted by Napalm:

That was then, this was now. After years of security implementations, they can at least TRY to perform item restorations again. My items are also so dated, they probably won't even effect the Marketplace, and I just want them for sentimental value. I just want my things back.

Not going to happen. Learn the lesson and most important: Move on. Yes, that is unfortunately the thing to do.

The policy has been put in due to:
- People having sellers remorse and pretending to be scammed;
- People sharing accounts and not liking it that their buddy, who isn't a buddy, gave away things;
- People, even though it's actively warned against, go outside the Steam system to sell stuff and get hijacked;
- People unfortunately don't always think straight when pressed until too late (I assume this is what happened to you, OP, considering that you recognised it).
Considering that all of those have to do with people and people haven't changed, no reason to change the policy. I know, there are people who actually are victims in it, but considering that it's hard to actually know for Steam support who is, a zero tolerance policy works best.

Keep in mind that in any case, no matter how it happened, ultimately the account owner gave away the keys to their account.