Let's start off with the basics here, it usually begins with a compromised account of a friend of yours. This is how they first prey on your trust. You're close to your friend, so you'll click on the memes they send you, nothing happens so far so why would you ever doubt them right? But if you receive a message such as this:

"Can we talk please? I may of done something on an accident.
i might reported you for duplicated items instead of someone else and the admin gave a warning about the ticket i send."

This should be your biggest red flag. A change in how your friend usually speaks, or acts towards you is usually the sign that theyve been compromised by a scammer.

They may also send you "videos" in a .gif or .webm format of them "banning" you. This will be a fabricated template with space for your profile information to simply be screenshotted and added in.

They may also jump the gun and send you hyperlinks to "Admin profiles" or to your "duped inventory item". Whatever it is you do, do NOT click on anything that they send you. these links will be fake, loaded with a virus or what ever malicous tactic to compromise your account and repeat this process all over again, but this time using your visage!



They will be persistent; dont ever click a link that looks or seems suspicious, even if they are from a friend! Watch their behaviours, it may not actually be them!

First thing you should do is if you are to encounter this situation and you want to help your friend that has been hijacked then please consider the following steps.. (Screenshots will be going along with these steps to better aid you).

• 1. We're going to be reporting their profile but worry not! Their account won't be getting a VAC ban or anything of that sort, we'll be giving them a better chance of keeping their account and getting it back. So with that in mind let us right click on their name within the steam chat window then click on view profile.
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• 2. When you've reached their profile page you'll need to click on the more option and then click on report profile.
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• 3. A report profile window will popup within the steam client asking you why you are reporting them, click on the option "They are involved in theft, scamming, fraud or other malicious activity".
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• 4. Then click on the next option "Their account seems to have been compromised".
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• 5. You will now have reached the final steps, next you'll want to choose the first option "Submit this account for review".
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• 6. Once you've clicked on the submit review option it'll open up a window asking to provide more information, just simply copy and paste your conversation with the compromised account into the chat window asking for needed information then state that you believe that the said person has been hijacked.

This is optional
You can tell the friends you have in common to watch out for said person that is hijacked.

You've done everything you could on your side but lets do a quick educational talk with you.
There are no such thing as "steam admins" in fact valve or valve employees never contact you through a steam chat let alone steam in any way or form. Valve also does not use steamrep in any way as they are a third party site.

Feel free to share this guide around if you see fit to help warn and learn from this to protect yourself from these malicious activities.

As I mentioned already if you suspect anyone at all is compromised do NOT click on any of their links that they send you. https://scanurl.net/ may of be some use if you REALLY need to be peeking at what people send you.

I would also reccommend this video to help you better learn combat future scams as this does have relevant advice for this very method we've been discussing here.

This guide may be edited over time depending what newer things I am able to revise into it.