I was recently scammed through Steam chat while gaming, and I wanted to share my experience in detail to help others avoid falling victim to the same tactics.

The scammer contacted me with what appeared to be an official Steam Support tag, claiming my account (ID: 76561197990298391) had been frozen due to suspicious activity. They provided a reference number and detailed account information including my Steam ID, username, email address, PC name, and IP address—information that made the interaction seem completely legitimate.

They sent a verification code to my mobile device and knew my phone number's last two digits. When I received the actual code through the Steam app, it further convinced me this was a real Steam Support interaction. The scammer claimed to be "Jane Stone" from Valve's Fraud Department and explained that my use of Proton VPN had triggered multiple IP address flags in their system.

The conversation became increasingly elaborate, with formatted text boxes displaying my account details and IP addresses. They cited fictitious "STEAM Regulations" and "Article 17876," claiming I needed to verify my account through their "GUARD system" or risk permanent account deletion. Despite my growing suspicions—I even told them I had found online reports of scams using identical tactics—they manipulated me by pointing to my temporarily altered profile as "proof" of legitimacy.

The scammer pressured me to create a trade offer to another user named "Springan Blade," assuring me the transaction would be automatically canceled and my items would simply be "frozen" for 24 hours as part of the verification process. When I attempted to block them earlier in the conversation, they somehow unblocked themselves and threatened permanent account suspension if I tried again.

Eventually, when I reported difficulties confirming the transaction through my mobile app, the scammer's facade completely dropped. They responded with profanity and admitted: "I ♥♥♥♥♥♥ your ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥, thanks for the skins."

I've since learned that Valve's policy prohibits item restoration in scam cases, regardless of how sophisticated the scam or how much evidence is provided. This has been an incredibly disheartening experience, not only because of the loss of my items, but because there appears to be no recourse even when the scam is clearly documented.

I hope sharing this detailed account helps others recognize these warning signs and avoid similar situations. The level of sophistication—including access to account information, verification codes through legitimate Steam systems, and the ability to manipulate chat features—made this scam particularly convincing.