1. There is no such thing as a "pending" ban or Steam admin. Anyone threatening your account is a scammer trying to scare you. Read more.

I "Scammed" a scammer that tried to scam me.

Discussion in 'SteamRep General Discussion' started by Napoleon 5, Mar 4, 2020.

  1. Napoleon 5

    Napoleon 5 New User

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    Steam:
    STEAM_0:0:496699506
    There is someone that tried to scam my items on csgo.
    He told me that I must give him an Item ID on a scam site that will take my Password etc..
    So, as I know this type of scam, I tried to troll him.
    I asked him if he could give me some very cheap items to prove he's not trying to scam me. He gave me 3 items, each, 0.003$ . And I took them.
    Then I told Him nice try scamming me and left.
    He then sent me a message telling me I'm getting reported on both steam Canand this site. I get banned for this ? This scammer is def a.....****. Hate those people...
    By the way I have screenshots of all the discussion and you can clearly see he's trying to scam me..
    Can this get me banned on Steam or Steamrep ?
    Ps: I just discovered this website, didn't knew it was existing before the scammer told me
  2. Horse

    Horse Administrator SteamRep Admin

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    76,831
    SteamRep Admin:
    STEAM_0:1:34690691
    Scamming a scammer is still scamming.
    There is no if and or buts about that.
    So yes if someone reports you and the evidence supports the case you will get banned/tagged here if that is the case.
    I suggest you report the user to Valve regardless for the attempted phishing.

    If reported you need to respond asap after the report is submitted to give your side to the story and evidence that supports it.
    We look at everything provided and go from there.
    Last edited: Mar 4, 2020
  3. Napoleon 5

    Napoleon 5 New User

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    STEAM_0:0:496699506
    That wasn't even scamming. I mean, that's 9 cents and I don't care about 9 cents.... I can give him back his Items. But this guy is def a trash. I saw pictures of his inventory and he have got lots of good knives etc.. That's a big scammer.... I'm new to this "trading community" I don't even want to trade or anything I'm just playing normally with my skins. Never scammed anyone nor sent a trend offer nor hacked... And I receive random message daily from people like him trying to scam me. .....
    Thanks for your answer..
  4. Napoleon 5

    Napoleon 5 New User

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    Steam:
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    And there was no promise. I just told him
    "Can you give me a skin worth 0.001$ so you can prove you don't want to scam me"
    And he sent the offer. Nothing else.. That's not even scamming
  5. Horse

    Horse Administrator SteamRep Admin

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    SteamRep Admin:
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    The fact that you do not even understand that stealing is stealing regardless of amount is disturbing to say the least.
    Seriouslypissed likes this.
  6. ReptilianWorldOrder

    ReptilianWorldOrder New User

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    Howdy, I'm what you'd call a busybody. And, having stumbled across this thread in my other efforts of procrastination, I thought i'd add my 2 cents and represent this user pro-boner.

    Such is my nature... and the other thread I was going to butt in on was from 2014.


    I understand your concerns given their phrasing "wasn't even scamming" as seemingly minimizing the value; however I believe that impression stems from a misinterpretation of the central argument--one which the low value helps emphasize--that being the lack of practical intent and, as such, falling outside the true aim of this institution.

    The first factor:

    It's not that low sums cannot be stolen, merely that the low sum here [additionally, one the user is openly willing to repay] is self-evident that this was no genuine attempt at theft or truly meant to harm--even impose upon--another user. The true 'value' of 'scamming the scammer' in this case was one of principle and pride. The actual sums are so immaterial--and the efforts so impractical-- that ultimately any similar 'scamming' effort is a net loss. No sincere scammer would ever act similarly, if only to preserve whatever 'clean' account for a bigger con. What may be theft by definition here is also not the behavior of any scammer in true.

    Without at least some sort of intent/opportunity/pattern to suggest others will be scammed, there's little to constitute a genuine "risk factor" label accompanying this user in perpetuity. Without that probability of future harm, there's even less reason to suspect labeling this user "scammer" will serve a practical value by preventing future harm that otherwise would occur. However, it is certain that such a label will create stress and complications for this user, whose behaviors may not be justified, but whom neither poses the sort of threat this institution aims to curb. It'd be a philosophical labeling of principle here, not a practical one, but the repercussions would be real.


    The second factor:

    If we are to take the user at their word--which I see no reason not to given that all other aspects here are from their self-indictment--then the concern weighed is of two 'scammers' in principle, but of different threat levels, victims, and misdeeds. One theory of justice would say shackle both, though we do not even know the second party at this point. Effectively, it's like punishing a burglar whose come forward to announce they've found someone a bunch of people kidnapped in the house of someone they broke into. There's an innate injustice in targeting this lesser misdeed--though still being criminal--in their own attempt to uncover and thwart a larger and more sincere threat to society as a whole. The injustice is amplified when that larger threat lingers unscathed.

    In the defense of nine cents--again, which the user already offered to restore--from a position of principle alone, the "scammer" tag would be bestowed on the individual who clearly posses no genuine threat to the community, and done from the theoretical pursuit of justice. All this done on behalf of the unknown individual who does in-fact pose the very sort of tangible, material threat that this site was founded and operates in hopes of thwarting.


    The third factor:

    Even if you reject the prior two arguments, there's a technical factor involved in the assertion it "wasn't even scamming" of central importance: an insubstantial matter of consideration or clear promise unfulfilled. The very structure of the conversation lacks any sort of quid-pro-quo to actually constitute a deal, thus, the breach of one either. The user simply asserts "give me x so I know you're not y", with no follow-through promised, or even clearly implied from what we know, so it falls short of the technical definitions required to ever constitute a scam.

    Meanwhile, there's this payment in the first place. [The other user is providing something of value in exchange for... what? A presumption they'll log into some website? And whatever for? Or, is it element of exchange meant to be an investment in favor of gaining this account? What are the real terms? Is anything even implied which would satisfy some exchange of value? And are whatever terms even valid if they hinge on a successful account theft?] This ambiguous 'payment' for a lack of anything substantial (or even clarified), and the fact the other user hasn't created this claim they threatened here would suggest that phishing/hacking was the goal indeed. Of course the 'victim' has more to lose by coming here, so they say nothing at all and weigh the threat. Meanwhile our user here operates with clean intentions and designs. They're present to--even preemptively-- absolve themselves of wrongdoing, and determine what's necessary to rectify a situation that technically doesn't exist yet. Their actions here, whether others just or unjust, express a concern for continued good faith interaction and represent a willing compliance.


    The fear factor:

    So, after all this, whats the real conclusion? Well... I'm absolutely dedicated to procrastination and clearly willing to waste much of my own time and energy in pursuit of deconstructing a philosophical position of minimal real world consequence anyway--in fact, zero to myself--in a pathetic sort of sublimation to block myself from perusing matters of any measurable impact or remotely relevant to myself when instead I can create endless hurdles in pursuit of low pressure and rather fun logic-ing for the sheer enjoyment. Good god.
    _tyler_ and Kartoos like this.
  7. Kartoos

    Kartoos New User

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    Wow ! You have a way with words. Also I agree with you 100%.
  8. ReptilianWorldOrder

    ReptilianWorldOrder New User

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    Thanks! I try to approach stuff aiming for self satisfaction, though it's always really nice to get some outside validation and a sanity check that I'm not always shouting into an empty void. :)