Acc got stolen as soon as I entered some fishy site, and it asked to login through Steam... authenticator removed, phone removed, email changed... I already wrote to support. I used a link in email to self-lock the acc, but that doesn't seem to work, cause it still spams messages with that phishing link to my friends, and plays CS:GO. I'm at fear, that it is gonna be cheating and will get me a VAC. How can I tell support to hurry with my request? Or is there any chance I would get VAC removed, cause it really wasn't me?

EDIT: thanks for your support, guys.
I know, there's no denying it's all my fault, and all that is left for me is to wait for steam support to answer.
It's just annoying to be in this state of self-blame and waiting.

UPDATE: Got my acc back. Only 8 hours after lost it. Support ain't so bad after all, ey?))

6 years ago*

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I doubt it will get a VAC-Ban, since when your account is locked you can't play on online servers.

6 years ago
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But how can I be sure, the lock worked? He still can play games and send chat message to friends.

6 years ago
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If support confirms you were hacked, you get the account in more or less the state it was in before you handed it over on a silver platter for what I assume was a promise of free 3-cent CS:GO skins (since unless the account was stolen weeks ago, that play time indicates you did not really use it for much else than CS:GO yourself :P).

The only question is the items. They sometimes revert market transactions, but, well, it is only if the support person in charge feels like it. They are not obligated.

As for response, usually it ends in a week or so. Not gonna lie, Eastern Europe is not exactly high on their priority list.

6 years ago
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I got a message from friend to roll the roullete for him, for a key... Yeah, I'm dumb af. Now I spam these same messages to every friend. CS:GO I visit rarely right now, it was from way back. I'm more singleplayer guy.

6 years ago
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Chain hacking. Sounds usual. Too effective way to scam, sadly.
Good news in this case is that since it will be a mass scam, Valve will do something about it. Bad news is, it will take some time.

Also, they will tell you what I will as well: do not give your Steam login data on any site other than Steam. Basic caution. Any site using Steam logins will just display one green button and through Valve's secured servers.

6 years ago
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the form it went to looked exactly like Steam login page, I just didn't notice the link being different. If I didn't surf that through phone, cause was logged at PC I would be more suspicious.

6 years ago
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I'm curious. Even if someone has your login & password, don't they also need to enter a code that is emailed to you (or sent via app) if you try to log in from a computer that has never logged in to your account before?

6 years ago
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Only if u have that security measure on. Everyone should imo...

6 years ago
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Yeah, Steam Guard. I think it is on by default, why would you disable it?

EDIT: I just looked at the source code for the scam login page and it looks like it has a part in there that asks for an access code. I am guessing what happens is that after you input your login and password on the scam page, it sends the login/password to the scammer. The scammer then immediately tries to log in to your account using that login and password from their machine (probably automated), which causes the Steam Guard access code to be sent to the real owner (via email or the app).

The scam login page then asks the user to enter this access code. So I am assuming this is how the scammer got around Steam Guard. It asks the real user to enter the code they get via email or the app. Then the scammer simply enters this code on the Steam login page and is now seen as a valid user of the account.

6 years ago*
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But I did enter through Steam guard... And in that moment all was gone.

6 years ago
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Yes, read my explanation again. If you were logging in from a computer that you had already authenticated via Steam Guard (at any time in the past) it should NOT have asked you to authenticate through Steam Guard again.

So what really happened is that someone else that had your login/password was logging in from their own computer, and that is why you got the Steam Guard code sent to you. You then promptly sent that code to the scammer by entering it in the scam web page.

So you not only gave them the login and password they needed to log in to your account you also gave them the Steam Guard code.

6 years ago
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I wonder, how is it possible to remove authenticator without another verification? Just by logging in they get all they want?

6 years ago
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Once someone logs in to your account using proper login and password, if you have Steam Guard enabled and the person is logging in via a computer that has not been authenticated (it does not have a special cookie that indicates it is authenticated) it will send you a Steam Guard code to make sure you are the proper owner of the account.

All you have to do to prove you are the owner of the account is enter that code. Since you sent them the code, they were able to enter it and had full access to your account. Once they have full access, they can do anything to your account they want (or at least anything any authorized user of your account can do).

Now I am not sure what they changed on your account once they were logged in. If they changed the email on the account, I would assume that also triggers a Steam Guard authentication (or perhaps it just sends an email to your old account asking if it is OK to change the email address on your Steam account)
If Steam does that, then I don't know how they could change your email or password without you authorizing it through a link in your email or with Steam Guard app.

6 years ago*
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But that's strange, usually for any change I have to go through emails sent to accept change.

6 years ago
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Yeah, I'm not sure about that part. They would have to change your email first and doing that (I assume) would require some sort of validation by you (either through the existing email on your account or Steam Guard app).

6 years ago
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Changing email from https://help.steampowered.com/en/wizard/HelpChangeEmail?redir=store/account/ asks for Guard code even if logged in to Community, so maybe that's the first thing they log into.

6 years ago
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ooh, that seems interesting.

6 years ago
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Yeah, that could be it. One of the options is that "you no longer have access" to you old email. Perhaps after that it asks for the Steam Guard code? Once your email is changed to the scammers email then they may be able to do more stuff (although not sure how that works if you use the Steam Guard app instead of email).

6 years ago
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You use the stolen Guard code to change email, then you use the changed email to remove Guard and are free to do whatever, is my guess.

6 years ago
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Yeah, but in doing some limited research, I found that in order to change your email without having access to your old email address, you need to send a message to Steam support. But I don't know what they do to verify that you are the true owner of the account. Some questions asked when sending a message to Steam support are: "What was the first email you used on your account?" and "what is your phone number". Not sure how the scammer would be able to get that info (although I know I don't have a phone number associated with my account).

6 years ago
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6 years ago
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If you were logging in from a computer that you had already authenticated via Steam Guard (at any time in the past) it should NOT have asked you to authenticate through Steam Guard again.

That is definitely not my experience. Every time I log on with my personal devices, I have to enter the code from the Steam Guard two-factor authentication. It's been a long time since I've set it up, though -- are you saying there's a way to have Steam trust a device? Just curious, because I see something different than you are describing. I don't think I'd enable that setting, anyway.

6 years ago
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Yes, I don't use the app, I just use email. It only sends the email with the code when I try to log in from a new device. As long as you trust that the device you are using will not get in the hands of someone who will do harm, I think it is the better option.

Having to authenticate every time, to me, seems like it is LESS secure, since as seen in this instance, if you are used to always authenticating then you can be more easily fooled to authenticate (just as a natural response) without really thinking about who you are authenticating.

In my case, if I go to log in to my Steam account on a computer that has already been "trusted" and I get prompted to enter the Steam Guard code, I know something is wrong, since I never get prompted for that code. If I were prompted to authenticate every time, I would probably miss all the signs that I wasn't actually authenticating my own login, and instead authenticating someone else who is trying to log in to my account from some other computer. I assume the authentication on the app indicates an IP address of where the login is being attempted, but if you do this authentication all the time, you are probably not looking at that IP address and will not notice it is not yours.

Perhaps I am wrong about this, and if I am please explain why. I have never used the app authentication, so I don't really know how it works.

EDIT: I just looked up a little bit about how the app works for Steam Guard. It appears that it just presents a new code every 30 seconds. So it doesn't even know that someone is trying to log in at that time. Seems like a bad way to do things. It's essentially just another password that changes every 30 seconds and is not linked to any particular attempt to log in to your account.

Again, it seems to me that the email method is more secure (as long as you trust everyone who has access to your device). If anyone tries to log in to my account from a device that has not already been "trusted", I will get an email with a Steam Guard code. If I see that email, and it wasn't me trying to log in from a new device, then I know someone has my password and is trying to login in to my account. I can change my password and all is good.

With the app, you just enter your login, password, and whatever current Steam Guard code is being displayed in the app and you are in. Even if you are logging in from a new device, I guess. Seems like it is ripe for this type of scam.

6 years ago*
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Once you get VAC, it will never be removed, if I recall correctly.

6 years ago
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correct

6 years ago
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VAC bans have been reverted plenty of times in the past by Valve.

6 years ago
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No. I remember Dying Light where VAC bans were given out. Valve later removed the bans.

Just to point out there are circumstances for Valve to remove a ban.

6 years ago
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I hope you get your account restored. There are many such scams in Steam.

This should serve as a warning to all users: If somebody is offering you something for free or minimal effort, especially connected to a gambling/skins site, you should know that is a scam and should check every link, redirect and research in Google about it.

@Agrass - can you please share what the link/domain of the site was, including the Steam account that posted that link?
I want to share it with friends, who will also share it and spread word about it on Activity walls and such. You can add me if you don't want to share it here.

6 years ago
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The Steam account that sent me a message, was from my friend. But at that time when I got the message I wasn't thinking about anything suspicious, it was early in the morning, from a phone.. The message is in russian "Ку, мoжeшь тут pулeтку кpутaнуть (here is the link to the site) ? Ecли выпaдeт GTA 5 или PUBG я куплю у тeбя ключ".
The site itself is exgameup dot com.

6 years ago
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It pops up a new window that does not show the URL bar so you can't see where you are. It looks very much like the normal Steam login window, except all the links on the page (seen via mouse hover) go to yapmail dot info.

One thing I do is make sure I am already signed in to Steam before I go to a site that asks to log in through Steam. That way when it goes to the login page, you are already logged in and you just press one button. If it asks for login/password then you know there is something fishy.

6 years ago
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Yeah, about that "already logged in". I was using phone at the time, and usually in phone browser it's always asking to login again, so I wasn't suspicious of that.

6 years ago
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Thank you both for the information. Will re-share.

6 years ago
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i suggest to u to make topic on reddit about this
https://www.reddit.com/r/Steam/

there're places that sell "steam main page template, so there will be more similar scam-sites in future

6 years ago
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I tried to, but they deleted my post, cause "no posts about hijacked account, go write support"

6 years ago
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which site was it?
Was the steam login a legit steam url or was it some lookalike url?

6 years ago
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It was a pop-up login with "about:blank".
The site is exgameup dot com

6 years ago
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You can get to the true page in Firefox by right clicking on the page and selecting to view the frame in another tab.

I have the URL but I don't want to paste it here just in case someone else might not understand it is a scam site and enters their real info. But the domain it is hosted on is yapmail dot info.

6 years ago
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Hardly matters what the domain at the moment is since it's trivial to change as often as they want, only thing that matters is that it's not steampowered.com.

6 years ago
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Stolen AND cs go? A double tragedy!

6 years ago
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i had recover my steam account that use old e-mail that i don't have access and i forgot my steam account password and any other details ... all i got to do is create support ticket and send payment proof to steam support. it takes 3 working days to get reply and another 2 days to get my access back.

this is steam knowledge base that will guide how to send payment proof : https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=5421-QTFB-3090

6 years ago
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Must be fun for people who paid with Russian kiosk :)

  1. Please write your Support Ticket Number on your Kiosk receipt below the text in permanent ink
  2. Attach a digital photo or scan of the receipt used on the account
6 years ago
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Same thing happened to a friend. He provided paypal (or CC) transaction id and he got it back from steam support.

6 years ago
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how the hell they removed autenthicator??? you use mobile phone no??? so it's imposible if they don't have your phone to accept the remove.

email too??? so they also have your email for ... again accept the change of email

What the hell you gave to that site??? you gave all your personal information or what??? even the real passwords for all your devide and email???? how can you be that dumb? or you are just trolling??? because is not posible to make what you said without some kind of "do you accept this change in your account?" message in your email etc.....

6 years ago
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I entered my login info and authenticator code, and that's it. No email confirmation was asked for any change. Email is not compromised. it's safe.

6 years ago
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You should only log in directly on steam's page, not in some random overlay or fake site.
Always check the address you are at and the address any emails come from.

6 years ago
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6 years ago
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Good to hear you got it back. :D

6 years ago
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Closed 1 year ago by Agrass.