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.

Completed: Friends SteamID

Discussion in 'Archived Applications' started by Mist //, May 8, 2019.

  1. Mist //

    Mist // New User

    Messages:
    16
    Steam:
    STEAM_0:1:8833815
    Basic Information:

    Community name: SteamID
    Community website: https://SteamID.uk
    Location: UK - United Kingdom
    Languages spoken: One of the admins speaks Dutch
    Size of community:
    146,845 with 11,046 logging in the last week​

    Links:

    Main website: https://SteamID.uk
    Scam reports:
    Ban appeals:
    Other related websites and API usage:

    Staff and groups:

    Steam group: https://steamcommunity.com/groups/SteamIDcouk
    Admin group: https://steamcommunity.com/groups/SidAdmins
    Staff ID blocks:

    Application:

    What are your community's policies on scamming & scamming-related activities?
    No policies as such however SteamID is a site allowing users to lookup accounts to inspect historical records to make their own judgment on scamming / cheating among other thing.​

    API usage:

    Why does your community wish to exchange banners and become a Friend of SteamRep?
    SteamID would like to allow SteamRep access to certain Data which may help cases from an analytical point of view and almost partner up. SteamID has a wealth of data that can be used to produce data sets based on input, For example lookup a user who is SR banned and use SteamIDs database as a source of information for linked accounts or similar to aid in the prevention of scamming. SteamID is happy to create tools for your admins in the aid of scam reports​

    Tell us more about your community:
    SteamID is a massive database driven site recording data on steam accounts since 2009 and was made originally to help track and find scammers and cheaters, It is used for a whole heap of things such as finding old friends, looking up lists of accounts in bulk , getting old avatars , old friends – its huge. It also has its own API​

    Questions or Comments:

    ​

    Attached Files:

    Mist //, May 8, 2019
    #1
    Tio José das Vacas likes this.
  2. Lava

    Lava Public Relations SteamRep Admin

    Messages:
    5,858
    SteamRep Admin:
    STEAM_0:1:46187366
    Thanks for your application. A few things:
    1. To clarify, you are the owner of this community, and hence also staff, right?
      And did you have other staff aside from this one? This was supposed to be all your staff.
      Hidden Content:
      **Hidden Content: Content of this hidden block can only be seen by members of (usergroups: Administrative, Moderating).**
    2. I realize you use our API and mirror our bans in your database. Have you considered banning or limiting access to features that might be useful to scammers? Scamming and cheating aren't strongly correlated, so I can understand not banning outright, but I think there might be some features scammers would try to capitalize on.
      Hidden Content:
      **Hidden Content: Content of this hidden block can only be seen by members of (usergroups: Administrative).**
    3. You clearly have a large demographic of Steam users who might otherwise be unaware of SteamRep, or even avoiding scams in general, which SteamRep might have trouble reaching without your help. Aside from scam reports, among our goals is outreach and education, in order to prevent fraud from happening in the first place by educating would-be victims. Do you have plans to help raise awareness about common scams?
    Lava, May 8, 2019
    #2
  3. Mist //

    Mist // New User

    Messages:
    16
    Steam:
    STEAM_0:1:8833815
    Sorry been super busy recently with SteamID - Banning and implementing more checks and stuff given the recent discovery which i don't want to openly discuss - happy to private chat RE that as its directly related to scamming

    1) That is correct, My error - There were 4 admins on SteamID,
    Myself, Dad currently
    James,Lisbon previously

    Martin (me / owner)

    | steamname: M!st
    | steam3ID: [U:1:17667631]
    | steamID32: STEAM_0:1:8833815
    | steamID64: https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561197977933359
    | customURL: https://steamcommunity.com/id/msart
    | steamrep: https://steamrep.com/profiles/76561197977933359

    My other account which i do not use (Bought 1.6 / Czero many years back then bought CSS and registered a new account), history of both my accounts can be found though my bhop_map series including usernames....

    | steamname: M!st
    | steam3ID: [U:1:21199686]
    | steamID32: STEAM_0:0:10599843
    | steamID64: https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561197981465414
    | customURL: https://steamcommunity.com/id/mist92
    | steamrep: https://steamrep.com/profiles/76561197981465414

    My wife (May appear as moderator on Discord and groups but only as a backup for me on some things)
    invited to the admin group but she hasn't been online in god knows how long

    | steamname: Becca
    | steam3ID: [U:1:75574681]
    | steamID32: STEAM_0:1:37787340
    | steamID64: https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198035840409
    | customURL: https://steamcommunity.com/id/BeccaT
    | steamrep: https://steamrep.com/profiles/76561198035840409

    Dad Admin (Not my dad) - Only admin

    | steamname: Dad
    | steam3ID: [U:1:198044086]
    | steamID32: STEAM_0:0:99022043
    | steamID64: https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198158309814
    | customURL: https://steamcommunity.com/id/__Fatal_Banana__
    | steamrep: https://steamrep.com/profiles/76561198158309814


    2) its funny you mention that because that is exactly what i have been working with Dad reviewing data on my behalf on, SR banned accounts will have limited access to features on SteamID which could be used for abuse. Also any known linked accounts have the same access restriction where this link can be made to prevent them swapping accounts. I did block SR banned accounts logging in for a few days but this morning i un-did this as it was better to have them log in so we can see it & just restrict features of which is still being worked on. When this was implemented a fair few people started getting vocal on Discord and the SID group so it clearly disrupted things.

    3) I didn't have any intention for this no, However - Rather than re-invent the wheel i am happy to link back to a SteamRep FAQ or the SteamRep forums, I've followed steam rep for many years and love what you do so i would rather send people your way for Trade advice etc... you also have a wealth of knowledge in that area which i don't.
    Mist //, May 15, 2019
    #3
  4. Lava

    Lava Public Relations SteamRep Admin

    Messages:
    5,858
    SteamRep Admin:
    STEAM_0:1:46187366
    We have decided to accept your application. Congratulations!
    Lava, Jun 25, 2019
    #4
  5. Lava

    Lava Public Relations SteamRep Admin

    Messages:
    5,858
    SteamRep Admin:
    STEAM_0:1:46187366
    Posting an update here for transparency purposes.

    We have decided to sever our relationship with SteamID. After investigating a whistleblower complaint, we found that SteamID was working with (and paid by) a scamming group. Specifically, SteamID used their exhaustive user database - more broad and comprehensive than SteamRep's - to unmask users on the Steam community market by their avatars. This was done both through a paid Patreon feature, and through a private API fed to a 3rd-party scamming website where SteamID received a fraction of the profit from scammers' subscription fees.

    We also found that, although SteamID did inherit bans from our SteamRep API, marked scammers had the option of subscribing to a $100/month Patreon package to secretly override that ban, despite their SteamID profile stating they were banned from the website and/or SteamRep. This was used to continue looking up Steam Market users, typically with a browser extension.

    When confronted, SteamID agreed to post a public announcement, discontinue both the avatar finder service, and disable the paid API used by the scamming website. With this response, we do not conclusively believe SteamID poses a continued risk to the community. However, as a Friend Community who agreed to act in the interests of protecting traders from fraud, we cannot overlook that SteamID corresponded with both us and a scamming group at the same time. As such, the SteamRep admins unanimously agreed that we can no longer support or trust them. As always, community admins are held to a higher standard.

    Moving forward, we are discussing what, if anything, we can do from our end to address tools like SteamID's. We believe users behind market listings were masked for a reason, and generally anyone still sending friend requests related to market listings is a scammer, possibly a hijacker.
    Lava, Oct 15, 2019
    #5
    =[o.W.n]= FD GoD, [M&C] TheBluekr, schmed and 3 others like this.