Accepted Report: 76561198236665176 - ([TF2] Team Fortress 2 Items)

Scam Report

Report Type: [Rep Fraud] Impersonation with intent to defraud
Virtual item type involved: [TF2] Team Fortress 2 Items

Accused profile: 76561198236665176

Victim profile: 76561198142948067

What happened? Description:

I was contacted by someone on my friends list via Steam, someone that I knew firstly offsite. I suspect their account was hijacked, but they proceeded to tell me that they accidentally reported that I had items were "duped" and sent me to this "Steam admin" to cancel my pending ban. Already I was suspicious, since this is a common scamming method, but I opened conversation with the user anyway to dig for evidence.

"UNKNOWN" immediately began telling me that I was going to be banned if they did not go through an appeal process, and they proceeded to upload a GIF on Steam showing my profile and what was a mockup of a Steam admin page, showing the steps that would supposedly get me banned. They told me that I required "verification" of my items. Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of agreement to this, as I was not about to agree to my items being taken. Instead, I started questioning them and noting that they were using a common scamming method as well as not being on the page of official Steam volunteer moderators. Furthermore, they lacked the badges of a Steam moderator.

Perhaps I should have continued conversation with the user further to provide more proof, but they blocked me upon my constant questioning.​

Provide Evidence:

Here is an initial screenshot just to show how the messages should be read. First message is sender. I was not able to provide actual chat window because the user blocked me, but I have provided undoctored Steam logs.​

Sorry! Accidentally pressed Submit before I was able to put the rest in. Shall I resubmit the whole report?

Also, I can't provide the original chat box because the user blocked me and I can't view our chat any longer. I can, however, provide chat log. I'll resubmit in a second.

CHAT LOG IN ORDER:

- Sep 19, 2018 @ 12:21pm PDT Excuse me?
- Sep 19, 2018 @ 12:21pm PDT Did you change something in your account earlier?
+ Medick + #BANdomCrits Sep 19, 2018 @ 12:22pm PDT No, I have not
- Sep 19, 2018 @ 12:22pm PDT Because there is a random user that filed a ticket in your account for having a duplicated item.
+ Medick + #BANdomCrits Sep 19, 2018 @ 12:22pm PDT Someone contacted me and asked me about accidentally reporting me?
+ Medick + #BANdomCrits Sep 19, 2018 @ 12:22pm PDT Yeah, Fredster, right?
+ Medick + #BANdomCrits Sep 19, 2018 @ 12:22pm PDT Just contacted me saying it was an accidental report
- Sep 19, 2018 @ 12:22pm PDT Yes.
+ Medick + #BANdomCrits Sep 19, 2018 @ 12:22pm PDT let me upload an imgur screen of the convo
- Sep 19, 2018 @ 12:22pm PDT Okay.
+ Medick + #BANdomCrits Sep 19, 2018 @ 12:23pm PDT https://i.imgur.com/RQUxDBn.png
+ Medick + #BANdomCrits Sep 19, 2018 @ 12:23pm PDT there we go, I think that might work
+ Medick + #BANdomCrits Sep 19, 2018 @ 12:23pm PDT aye
- Sep 19, 2018 @ 12:24pm PDT You don't have to worry here if you really are not involved in the said issue. I will remove the pending ban understood?
+ Medick + #BANdomCrits Sep 19, 2018 @ 12:24pm PDT Oh, cool, thanks. No trading or anything to "check" the items, right?
+ Medick + #BANdomCrits Sep 19, 2018 @ 12:24pm PDT There's been an influx of scammers on my account recently who like using that method a lot, just checking to make sure
- Sep 19, 2018 @ 12:25pm PDT All you need to do here is to make an appeal and prove that your item is in a good condition and it was a false accusation so the bot will cancel the pending ban in your account is that clear?
- Sep 19, 2018 @ 12:25pm PDT Do you want my legitimacy here?
+ Medick + #BANdomCrits Sep 19, 2018 @ 12:26pm PDT I wuld like some proof of legitimacy, yeah, and more details on the process.
- Sep 19, 2018 @ 12:26pm PDT Hold on.
- Sep 19, 2018 @ 12:27pm PDT https://steamusercontent-a.akamaihd...099/3640F9EB588C49C000D50494F3FA4E1274871953/
- Sep 19, 2018 @ 12:27pm PDT Are you aware that if you cant prove yourself here that your item is in good condition your account will be banned permanently?
- Sep 19, 2018 @ 12:29pm PDT Excuse me?
- Sep 19, 2018 @ 12:29pm PDT Are you still with me?
+ Medick + #BANdomCrits Sep 19, 2018 @ 12:29pm PDT I am with you, though it highly concerns me that I can't see your profile name anywhere within the GIF.
- Sep 19, 2018 @ 12:30pm PDT I have already give you my proof here so that you can trust me on this process.
+ Medick + #BANdomCrits Sep 19, 2018 @ 12:31pm PDT Proof would be some sort of verification that you are a Steam admin somehow, since you do not 1) appear on this list; https://steamcommunity.com/discussions/moderators, and 2) have contacted me via a very common scamming method.
+ Medick + #BANdomCrits Sep 19, 2018 @ 12:31pm PDT I would like more details on the process of "appealing" itself.
+ Medick + #BANdomCrits Sep 19, 2018 @ 12:32pm PDT Still with me?
+ Medick + #BANdomCrits Sep 19, 2018 @ 12:34pm PDT Additionally you lack these badges: https://steamcommunity.com/id/alden/badges/11 https://steamcommunity.com/id/Silicon_Vampire/badges/10
+ Medick + #BANdomCrits Sep 19, 2018 @ 12:35pm PDT So pardon me if I am a little sceptical of your reliability as a Steam admin.
+ Medick + #BANdomCrits Sep 19, 2018 @ 12:40pm PDT Excuse me?
+ Medick + #BANdomCrits Sep 19, 2018 @ 12:40pm PDT Are you still with me?

After this conversation I was blocked.

And as requested, the full SR profile block of the friend that I suspect was hijacked:

Code:

| steamname: Fredster
|  steam3ID: [U:1:147929843]
| steamID32: STEAM_0:1:73964921
| steamID64: https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198108195571
| customURL: https://steamcommunity.com/id/Frcdstcr
|  steamrep: https://steamrep.com/profiles/76561198108195571

Thanks! I'd like to report that there is no longer an issue with Fredster, though. The scammer who asked for their account information didn't change the account password, just told them not to go into the account for three days. I told them via Discord to get in and change their password and emails. There is still a big issue with UNKNOWN, however.