Steam is the most popular digital gaming distributor service owned by Valve co. It is cross-platform and widely available around the globe, with millions of active users worldwide. But being popular comes at a cost, unfortunately. Although Steam service might not be the primary target of hackers and scammers, its games available through it are, as well as its users. Some of them might hack your account, others might scam you, or even financially take advantage of you. Even popular apps, like Discord, could be used by scammers to find their victims through Steam.
This is the case with the accidentally reported accounts scam. Scammers target their victims and send them a message that usually is as follows: “Hi, bro. I am very sorry, but I accidentally reported your account for scamming me“. They usually mention that they did it because your account has the same name, like the one they were “scammed” of. Even a fake account with the same name as yours might be provided as proof. Unfortunately, if you fall for this technique, they will try to help you because they are sorry. Sure they are.
So, to help you, they mailed Steam support and were told to inform you to reach their Discord support representative. And this is just for you, to solve the situation in a matter of minutes. Your time is limited. They are good people, after all. Then they provide you with a (fake) Discord account to help you. Have you ever heard of Garry Valve or similar names? Yes, this sounds legit. After contacting Mr. Garry, he will tell you that you should provide him with a Steam Wallet card or a Paysafe card, etc. This is necessary to prove that your account is legit and will be fully refunded at the end of the process. It seems reasonable that Steam support asks you for a gift card to prove that you own your account.
If you do, as told, they will inform you that, unfortunately, the situation is complicated and you should provide another gift card. It’s up to you to understand that something is wrong. And then it might be too late. Your money and even your Steam account might be lost. You should contact official Steam support and open a ticket to take your account back. Valve usually responds quickly, and if you provide the necessary files, your account will be yours again shortly. About the money, though, things are more difficult. You shouldn’t have high hopes, but you should try. It’s your money, after all.
So, to summarize:
- If you receive a message from someone you don’t know or don’t know well, get a little suspicious.
- No Steam representatives, moderators, or admins will inform you or help you privately. There is only Official Steam support.
- Steam will never ban your account without being notified and without a good legit reason.
- “I accidentally reported your Steam account” is a well-known scam.
- Valve will never ask you to come in touch with them, outside of their official Support or third-party apps, like Discord. Only seek help through official Steam support.
- Valve will never ask you to provide any money, Paysafe, Wallet, gift card, or bank credentials as proof.
- You should always have a backup of your Steam account purchases, e-mail, etc. Two-factor authentication and Steam Guard are helpful, too. Always keep Steam up-to-date.
- A strong password is always a good option. Never provide too much info if it’s not necessary.
- It would be best if you were careful of what you download or the links you click on. Reputable anti-malware and Firewall settings are always a good choice.
- If you fall for this scam, immediately check your Steam account status. It is a good practice to change your password if you want to. Both Steam and Discord, if you need to.
- If there is something you don’t know, you can google it or ask other users who might know.
Stay in the know and stay safe, as well.
