There are many more scam sites out there than legitimate sites and it's impossible for us to list them all.
While Steam does tend to block scam sites as they're discovered (shown as {LINK REMOVED}), the accounts stolen are usually used to spam even more, and malicious websites seem to pop up by the hundred each day. Some scam sites even use referral programs to trick you into spreading your site even more, by promising high-value rewards for a number of clicks (which they'll never actually give out).
Scam sites are often professionally built, have a convincing proposition and are well operated. They've gone to the lengths of generating fake user activity to give a false impression of legitimacy. The sites also come in many forms and continuously evolve, so it can be hard to figure out if a site is legit. That's because of all the various steps taken to protect you from these sites, and scammers' persistence to still reach you.
Don't be fooled though. While the scam sites are professional and realistic, most use the same approaches to deceive people:
- Requiring deposits of real world currency to access items from the site.
- Requesting trade of items for nothing in return - gifting your items to a trade bot on the site.
- Offering any form of credit to participate in activities on the site.
- Requiring the installation of a browser extension or program.
- Copying the appearance of a well-known site, with a fake login page.
One way to identify a fake website is by checking its creation date. If this sounds complicated, you can easily check that and other factors by pasting its address into scamadviser.com. If the site is less than a year old, it's probably a scam.
Note, however, that even if the website otherwise looks legitimate, there's no way to rule out the match outcomes being rigged. If popular streamers are showcasing winnings, you should be especially wary of it.
Steam has a very clear position on third party gambling and case-opening sites. This is outlined in the following Steam news item - In-Game Item Trading Update. As such, SteamRep would like to remind you there is no such thing as a legit gambling site.
If you follow the Steam Account Security Recommendations and review our other guides, you should encounter no issues.
Please refer to the following support article for further information:
- Trade Scam FAQ
- Account Security Recommendations
Adapted from Steam community moderators' guide: https://steamcommunity.com/app/730/discussions/0/1693785035812738453/
(Used with permission.)
