01/08/2021
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CS:GO skins can be expensive and flashy, which exposes them to many clever scams that evolve over time.
They come in many different forms, but here are the main ones to look out for:
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Scammers may send you links that seem real, but happen to be fake. Always make sure to double check the URLs domain. They may resemble real links, such as steamcommunity.com, but replace a single letter. They can also pose as gambling sites, trading sites or even tournament hosts. It is easy to spot these, as the bots will use a story such as "I am quitting CS:GO" or "My son has just been born and I am giving away my skins!"
Example: https://imgur.com/a/59dtiKF
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These scams are becoming more and more common every day. They are harder to spot, and make use of your API key. If you have never registered for an API key, you don't need to worry. You can check if you have an API key here: steamcommunity.com/dev/apikey
When a scammer gains access to your account, they can't do much with it due to steams use of the mobile authenticator (or email confirmations), which prevent you from being able to make trades without verification.
Instead, the scammers use your API key to track your trades.
For example, if you had a nice CS:GO knife which you wanted to trade to your friend, you would send him the trade offer. The scammers software will detect this with your API key, and within an instant, send you an identical counter-offer from a different account with the same name and profile picture as your friend.
Similarly, they can cancel the trade completely, and send a new trade offer from your account to another. Make sure, when you check your mobile confirmation, that you are sending the item to the correct player. Look out for their steam level, and the date their account was created, as the scam bots cannot replicate this very easily.
Example: https://imgur.com/a/Nk4ehYZ
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This scam involves a person who tries to convince you that they are a verified user, whether this be a YouTuber, Valve Employee, or even a reputable trader. The scammer will then try to trick you into giving away your items, whether through trades, phishing links or money transactions. The scammers can message in many shapes and forms, but mainly through steam or other social media platforms.
Example: https://imgur.com/a/WIsWasR
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This method is similar to the impersonation scam, where the scammer will pose as someone who wants to "verify that the item is real" by asking you to trade your item to a close friend. The scammer will prepare their second account to impersonate your friend and send the offer. It seems obvious, but many people still fall for it to this day.
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Always be careful when buying or selling items for real money. There are many sites that can act as a middleman for these transactions nowadays, but people are still open to P2P trades for cash instantly. This may involve the scammer asking you to "go first" with your end of the trade, whether it be sending the skins or paying the money. Similarly, don't fall for any middleman scams, where the scammer will offer a middleman to assist with the trade. This "middleman" is most likely part of the scam. Remember, scammers can also use PayPal to make it look like they have sent you money, but can sometimes get the money back.
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This scam involves the scammer messaging you and pretending that they have reported your account on steam. They then go on to ask you to add the "Steam Support" Valve employee, who goes on to say that they need to "verify you were not involved" by sending a malicious link, asking you to send items or prompting you to log in/provide login information.
Example: https://imgur.com/a/yOt8wDl
