If you can't provide the specific proof they need, there's not much you can do. They need that information to know 100% that you're not just some scammer trying to steal an account.

You could try having your father contact his credit card providers to see if they have and will provide a record of any cards used by him in 2018.

So you when you say "I don't know.", how do you figure that's providing the info they asked for?

I think you're telling yourself a bit of a self serving story.

Also, where are your backuo recovery codes? Like for when your phone is broken?

Stop blaming Valve. They can't give you access to an account you've explicitly admitted you haven't proven ownership of. No matter how you want to convince yourself otherwise.

Valve isn't gate keeping your account. You've mismanaged it. That has consequences. Like having to go through a rigorous recovery process, like it or not.

When I said "I dont know" I meant it as I do not know the answer of said question.

As in "what's the ending 4 digits of the phone number linked to the account"
It could be my ex's phone number or a really old phone number i used to have.

Also I've provided info, tons of it. CD keys, emails, everything they've asked besides the old credit card from 2018 and the phone number ending because I do know not.

I'm not "blaming" Valve for say. It's just kind of ridiculous of the questions they are asking.

Backup recovery code might be on my broken phone, it dropped out the car and I stepped on it with my boots it cracked the whole screen and I just decided to buy a new-ish phone.

It ain't some "self serving story"

I mean "proven ownership" is the fact I provided the CD keys to my account that I claimed, banking cards etc etc.

I'm asking for advice on what to do, not to be bashed.

Thank you for your time, nullable.


I can agree that, I did "lose" my recovery code but I've had that account for almost 11 years remembering a code that I've never even had to use once for a timespan of 11 years is kind of hard to remember.

I get what you're saying, it's just hard trying remember everything.

引用自 Chika Ogiue：

If you can't provide the specific proof they need, there's not much you can do. They need that information to know 100% that you're not just some scammer trying to steal an account.

You could try having your father contact his credit card providers to see if they have and will provide a record of any cards used by him in 2018.

Well I know that, I given as much as they asked in the first place but then it kept going by asking ridiculous questions as of the "2018, banking info" my dad even said he wouldn't even know who to call.

I get they are trying to protect from scammes. I just don't understand why they can't ask me my security questions instead of those random ones, which that I have provided what they've asked as the best of my ability to do so.

引用自 ♠|SilentTekii|♠：

I just don't understand why they can't ask me my security questions instead of those random ones

They ask what they ask because that's what they've learned is best to prove ownership. Security questions don't do that -- a scammer could have gotten into the account and changed them. Scammers, however, cannot change past purchases or information relating to them.

引用自 Chika Ogiue：

引用自 ♠|SilentTekii|♠：

I just don't understand why they can't ask me my security questions instead of those random ones

They ask what they ask because that's what they've learned is best to prove ownership. Security questions don't do that -- a scammer could have gotten into the account and changed them. Scammers, however, cannot change past purchases or information relating to them.

Yeah but I've proven my past purchases, with them asking for CD keys for that account. I even offered to send them my ID etc etc as proof so they can match the name up with my bank cards that have been linked or used by that account.

引用自 ♠|SilentTekii|♠：

Yeah but I've proven my past purchases, with them asking for CD keys for that account. I even offered to send them my ID etc etc as proof so they can match the name up with my bank cards that have been linked or used by that account.

I hate to say, but you clearly haven't proved it to their satisfaction. When you mention CD keys, were you asked to send a photo of the key with something written on it? Or did you simply copy and paste the digits? The first, confirms the key exists (and is used to verify physical purchases) with the information you're asked to write also acting as a way to invalidate the key for the future, the second only means you copy and pasted a key from somewhere.

Likewise with your ID. As such IDs are not directly used with Steam and not kept on record, they mean little. Unless you have an exceptionally rare first and last name, you are not the only person in the world with your name.

引用自 ♠|SilentTekii|♠：

When I said "I dont know" I meant it as I do not know the answer of said question.

No one is confused by what "I don't know" means. But what you don't seem to know is that it doesn't meet the burden of proof. It doesn't negate the requirements to prove ownership. And it doesn't compel Valve to ask you for information you'd rather provide.

引用自 ♠|SilentTekii|♠：

As in "what's the ending 4 digits of the phone number linked to the account"
It could be my ex's phone number or a really old phone number i used to have.

Also I've provided info, tons of it. CD keys, emails, everything they've asked besides the old credit card from 2018 and the phone number ending because I do know not.

I'm not "blaming" Valve for say. It's just kind of ridiculous of the questions they are asking.

Backup recovery code might be on my broken phone, it dropped out the car and I stepped on it with my boots it cracked the whole screen and I just decided to buy a new-ish phone.

It ain't some "self serving story"

I mean "proven ownership" is the fact I provided the CD keys to my account that I claimed, banking cards etc etc.

I'm asking for advice on what to do, not to be bashed.

Thank you for your time, nullable.


I can agree that, I did "lose" my recovery code but I've had that account for almost 11 years remembering a code that I've never even had to use once for a timespan of 11 years is kind of hard to remember.

I get what you're saying, it's just hard trying remember everything.

Well the only advice is keep working with support. And you might need to work a bit harder to make your I-don't-know's known, like it or not.

You're free to have all the opinions you want. But you'd also have opinions if I could prove ownership of your account by bypassing the requirements and Valve gave your account to me.

Also keeping backup recovery codes solely on the same device as your authenticator... not a great idea.

Keep working on it, and when you get your account back I hope the lesson was painful enough you decide to do a better job managing your accounts. Here's another bit of advice, set up a proper password manager and put all your account details and backup recovery codes in that. And make sure it's not solely accessible from your phone... or any single device.

And I know kids are dumb, I was a dumb kid too once. It doesn't change the harsh reality of the situation. And there's a difference between taking stock and taking responsibility and trying to make it Valve's problem because you want to be convinced you've done your bit and now it's their fault and they're wrong and they're doing something to you.

It's a good thing it isn't enough to just claim you're the rightful owner of an account, without having to provide ample proof of ownership. If Steam didn't have all these security measures in place, it'd would be even easier to hijack accounts.

It's up to users to manage their login credentials. Maybe you should ask Steam support, what else would qualify as "more proof" hm?

Have your father contact his bank and ask them what cards he was using in 2018 because all banks have a complete history of every single card their clients have used even if the card was closed.

Unless you and your family move a lot, the billing address should be a no-brainer and unless your father has bank accounts at multiple banks, that shouldn't be all that difficult either just more time consuming to speak with each one although that would be awfully suspicious, since it tends to be con artists and scammers that are clients of multiple banks.

No, they don't move alot. I've been all over tbh, from Texas to Ohio, West Virginia, and Kentucky.

I see what you're saying I found a recovery code for Steam Gaurd

It's a 6 digit code but Steam needs 7 and steam guard needs 5 so I'm confused lol

If you cannot provide what support asks for, they will not grant you access.

Any scammer worth their salt will obtain basic info to seem like they are the owner, but support will ask for info that ONLY the account owner will know.

If you do not provide that info, they are going to assume you are a scammer trying to steal someone else's account.

Why didn't you go to your service provider, and simply have them clone your phone? A broken screen doesn't mean data loss, or that your sim card isn't salvageable, and even if they are you still have the cloud. A broken screen isn't a problem. Phones don't die and go to heaven. Their contents are meant to be migrated. No wonder they don't believe you.

I got it all figured out.

Thank god for Photos "search" option to look for words in photos and I found my recovery code from like 2 years ago, lol.