No, this is not a rant topic about how i got scammed for being stupid.
Before you continue reading, you'd better check here: http://www.steamgifts.com/forum/8jyGN/steam-gifts-org-possible-scam-site

Ok, let's start the story.

A couple hours ago one of my friends on steam says "Hey, look at this website". I click on it, and say: "Oh, Steamgifts is doing a giveaway! Probably they are only 1€ or 2€ steam wallet codes (if that even exist)."
Then, obviously, I checked the link and noticed it was steamgifts.ORG and not .COM. At that point, my there was no more riddle: before, my mind was fighting. "No, it's fake, no, it can't be fake, it's steamgifts". I was ready to call it FAKE! And go on with my life, but another of my friends of steam said.

"No, i did it. I didn't get a Steam Wallet code but an indie game steam key".

(no, his account wasn't hijacked. I'm sure; he also posted on a forum we usually post on. In italian)
Anyway, I said "Oh well, it works. Maybe". I posted a thread on that forum i mentioned before, talked with other people, and so on. Most of them thought it was (and it IS!) fake, but I wanted to go deeper. I did some research and found other sources on the internet that called it fake. Now, I think that my friend just got confused, and maybe he just did another offer, who knows. Anyway, I knew it was fake, but I was curious (and with a liiiittlleee bit of hope. Hope never dies.)
I decided to dig deeper, and I did.

So, i reached the 15referrals limit, and "generated my code" (mmh). Obviously before I could get the """complete totally working 20$ code XD LOL PL" i had to complete a survey.

I tried using different sms-receiver services, but I live in italy and they only provide englishdanishamericanwhatever numbers, so it didn't work. The last offer, though, was different: it only asked me to register to a website. I already knew that offer because I already had done it on Tremorgames, so I took my throwaway email that I usually use to do surveys, and registered (again). Incredibly, it did work, and Chrome downloaded a file.

"steam.gift2.txt"

I was pretty amazed the thing actually continued, because I thought it would just not work (you know, you already have spent money, at least in this guy's thoughts, whoever he is).
Anyway, I opened the file and this is the text I found:

"send on this email : steam@gmail.com
you account name - and you get this gift

If you want Get Faster Wallet Code

Check this site : http://unlck.com/2Ly

thanks"

Broken english, suspicious looking email and link - yeah, totally legit. But I was still curious, so I decided to go on. I, first of all, opened the link (unlck whatever). It was a "earn point by completing offers" site, and all the offers needed a mobile phone. If there is anyone living in America, may I ask him to do one of these offers by using an online fake cellphone sms receiver? Yeah, i know I'm pointless, but I'm just way too curious.
Anyway, the offers didn't work, so I decided to go with the email. I sent an email to "steam@gmail.com", with the nickname of my second account, "pixelbite44" (my first account is Annoyed grunt, as you may have noticed). I shortly received another email, an automatically generated one (it clearly said it). Empty, but a file, an eml file. Because I'm not stupid and I know that eml files are full of viruses, I decided to give up there. I'm sorry :(

Anyway, it just wanted to share what i did. It felt like I was playing an ARG! XD.
Cheers! ~

EDIT: I forgot to say that yes, I have tried opening the eml file in a sandbox too, it didn't work :(

1 decade ago*

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Can I get a tl;dr?

1 decade ago
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No, you can't, because you're also ugly.

1 decade ago
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:o

1 decade ago
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steamgifts.org is a scam site.

1 decade ago
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No shit,Sherlock...

1 decade ago
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He wanted a tl;dr, I gave a tl;dr. I don't quite understand the hostility here.

1 decade ago
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I think, you are very good person! Thank you!

1 decade ago
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Always a pleasure! Would you like me to pour you some tea?

1 decade ago
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Yes, please! Very kind of you ,sir!

1 decade ago
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I'd like some, too. With koeksisters.

1 decade ago
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Are you stupid?

1 decade ago
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1 decade ago
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1 decade ago
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So even the email isn't legit? That is crazy!

1 decade ago
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So wait, how did he get a message back then? O__O

1 decade ago
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Ah, don't ask me.

1 decade ago
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You can fake the "from" email by modifying email headers, is not too hard. Check wikipedia or google "email spoofing".

1 decade ago
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Sooo... long story short... its fake!?

1 decade ago
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1 decade ago
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You didn't even read the first line, did you?

He knows about that topic, just shared his personal experience. Could have put it there but... oh well, he made a thread :P

1 decade ago
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No I didn't bother reading it because its about the fake site. It could have and should have been put in there to keep it all together so that people can see why the site is fake.

1 decade ago
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Es no good. Its likes that odd, family run 'convenience store' where you might be able to get some candy from the front displays, but there is always more to the store.. some extra 'candy' downstairs.. its just best to not even enter the store to begin with.

1 decade ago
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Where do you live that has those?

1 decade ago
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Extra candy? You mean like... rootbeer barrels?

1 decade ago
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Well they don't really care (the scammers are actually happy with what you did), you gave them money by completing the survey and wasted your time XD.

1 decade ago
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and posted about it and asked other people to join him on his quest... just help the scammers some more OP..

1 decade ago
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Yeah, because 2 people actually do the difference :p

1 decade ago
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Depends on the survey, but some surveys actually earn up to 20 euro for a single person to complete it (i do stuff with surveys, but not like this (scams)).

1 decade ago
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1 decade ago
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I hoped that link really worked and was a meme and \ or screamer. You disappoint me Stefko.

1 decade ago
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Yeah, awesome dude. Also check this out, this web site is giving thousands of copies of the whole Steam library 4 free yyy.OMGWTFISTHISSHITZtrOl0l0l.idk

1 decade ago
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Errr, you know you can't buy Battlefield 4 on Steam, right? Only 3.

1 decade ago
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Well.. at least he didn't mention steam anywhere (though that's what it probably meant)

1 decade ago
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1) You get steam wallet from the site, and I don't think you can spend Steam Wallet anywhere else beside Steam.

2) You are aware that my statement was a joke, right? (because even 3 isn't on Steam)

1 decade ago
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1> True, but I was under the assumption that the person was kidding, "monneh" could actually mean money.

2> Yes, I am aware.. I apologize if my comment seemed to be a serious reply. (Though I have no idea if any BF is on steam since I don't care much about FPS games)

1 decade ago
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Too much text, bye

1 decade ago
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Hi Annoyed Grunt :3

1 decade ago
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Hello mister Bond...we meet again.

1 decade ago
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Well, well, quite a situation we've got here.

1 decade ago
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This internet is too small for the three of us.

1 decade ago
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good god you kept going for WAYYYYY too long, downloading a file = immediate fake, no hope

heck SURVEY TO CONTINUE is fake. come on dude, come on.

1 decade ago
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It's that hard to understand that I knew since the start it was fake, I just continued because I was curious...?

1 decade ago
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I understand this type of curiosity, thank you for your research and for sharing this :)

1 decade ago
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.eml files are emails, not virus, the email client apps store them in that format.

1 decade ago
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If you want to try it i can send you the file, I'm not that brave.

1 decade ago
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I can check it if you want. Linux + virtual machines, never got a virus and if I do in some of my windows VMs I just revert it to a previous state using snapshots.

1 decade ago
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@admin ban

1 decade ago
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thanks for feeding us curious ones

1 decade ago
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No problem, twas fun :D

1 decade ago
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why even bother? it's fake, it doesn't work and that's that, stop wasting your time, lulz.

1 decade ago
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"Is it that hard to understand that I knew since the start it was fake, I just continued because I was curious...?"

1 decade ago
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I would have probably explored it further as well. =)

1 decade ago
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Very good thread. Someone actually tested it and gave other people something to think about. DO NOT ENTER LINKS THAT YOU ARE NOT SURE OF!

1 decade ago
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1 decade ago
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"I wanted to go deeper"

1 decade ago
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i would just like to know one thing, can the link itself do any harm? or do you actually have to go through the whole process to get anything harmful?

1 decade ago
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If you are using Netscape 1 to browse the web, even links can be harmful.
If you've still got an old MS JPEG decoder, visiting links with prepared images can be harmful.

With a modern browser and a modern (or at least updated) OS there should currently be no major exploits that can harm your pc ;)

Also, these sites want a "low" profile, so they have no interest to trigger your virus scanner because of malicious Javascript or stuff. They want to appear legit, so the sheep, sorry - the users - continue to spam referral links and fill out surveys in the hope of actually getting something out of it.

TL;DR: do whatever you want at your own risk.

1 decade ago
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Closed 1 decade ago by Annoyedgrunt.