Steam Wallet Gift Card Scam

Steam Wallet Gift Card Scam

Steam Wallet has seen increasing reports of scammers contacting their potential victims over the phone and coercing them to purchase Steam Wallet Gift Cards to cover payment for taxes, bail, debts, or delivery of money won in sweepstakes. The scammers often pose as agents of official agencies, such as the I.R.S., to convince their victims to comply.

Potential victims are urged to purchase Steam Wallet Gift Cards at a retail shop in their area. Once the codes have been purchased and activated through the retailer, scammers ask the victims to scratch the codes and read them over the phone.

Please be aware that Steam Wallet Gift Cards can only be activated on Steam. The associated value can only be used to purchase products such as video games, in-game items, software, and hardware. If someone contacts you to pay them in Steam Wallet Gift Cards, you are most likely targeted in a scam set up by cybercriminals.

Never give out a Steam Wallet Gift Card to a person you do not know.

Steps to take

If you have been a victim of a scam and purchased Steam Wallet Gift Cards that have not been given to the scammer yet, please take these cards back to the customer service desk of the retailer where you purchased them. They can scan the cards to see if they are eligible for a refund. Steam Wallet Gift Cards that have been activated but not redeemed yet are normally refundable at retail.

If you already have given the codes to the scammer, please keep the Steam Wallet Gift Cards and the receipt and report the incident to your local police department.

Check the comment section below for additional information, share what you know, or ask a question about this article by leaving a comment below. And, to quickly find answers to your questions, use our search Search engine.

Note: Some of the information in samples on this website may have been impersonated or spoofed.

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Comments, Questions, Answers, or Reviews

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July 12, 2024 at 1:28 PM by
Steam Wallet Gift Card Scam
an anonymous user from: Erie, Pennsylvania, United States

I have a roommate he’s almost 60 and I was cleaning his room and I noticed he had about 50 $20 steam gift cards with the receipt still all scratched off and then I found another stack of 20 more that haven’t been scratched off and I know he doesn’t play no video games or anything There’s no way he can get his money back from all the ones that the scammers got is there?

Delete

August 10, 2020 at 7:06 PM by
Steam Wallet Gift Card Scam
an anonymous user from: Santee, California, United States

I have a guy saying it is his daughters birthday & she needs a mother. He wants me to send an iTunes or Steam gift card to her for her birthday. I have only known him a week. He sent me a bank A/C # and routing number. To prove he isn’t scamming. He won’t give me an email though. He also doesn’t make small talk. I feel it’s a scam.

Delete

August 12, 2020 at 10:05 AM by
Steam Wallet Gift Card Scam
an anonymous user from: Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania, United States

Thank you for putting this out there. Just got the exact same scam and almost fell for it, but he was so anxious about hurrying to get the card I thought I would google paypay steamit scam.

It was his nieces birthday and he wanted me to send the card with some stamps he was going to purchase on ebay. Couldn't understand the whole gift card, which didn't sound right.

The email and paypal looked good, but nothing felt right.

I let the guy know I'm selling and not buying.

Thanks again for your information, it saved me a heartache.

Delete

August 4, 2020 at 4:15 PM by
Steam Wallet Gift Card Scam
an anonymous user from: Canfield, Ohio, United States

My daughter meet a guy that is in the Army and ask her to send him steam cards so he put minutes on his phone. Can you do that...

Delete

August 4, 2020 at 4:26 PM by
Steam Wallet Gift Card Scam
info

Someone is attempting to scam your daughter. Tell your daughter to beware of people claiming to be in the army asking for gift cards or money.

Delete

August 4, 2020 at 4:11 PM by
Steam Wallet Gift Card Scam
an anonymous user from: Canfield, Ohio, United States

my daughter on facebook. He said he is in the Army. and he keeps asking her for steam cards so he can put minutes on his phone. can you do that?

Delete

August 4, 2020 at 4:28 PM by
Steam Wallet Gift Card Scam
info

It is a scam.

Delete

July 7, 2020 at 9:34 PM by
Steam Wallet Gift Card Scam
an anonymous user from: United States

I know someone who claims to be a military nurse - wants a steam card purchased here in the States ... then for me to take a pic of the coding and send it to her as a text via Hangouts. Legal?

Delete

August 10, 2020 at 6:58 PM by
Steam Wallet Gift Card Scam
an anonymous user from: Santee, California, United States

I’ve had the same thing happen to me. I’m thinking it’s a scam. They send pictures, but I don’t know.

Delete

June 18, 2020 at 1:56 PM by
Steam Wallet Gift Card Scam
an anonymous user from: Frankford, Delaware, United States

So met this hot guy on Dating site, says he is at the airbase working for the government blah blah, can’t see me now until he get his place off base... can’t talk on the phone due to work he does.

I work in fraud for a bank, I have kept this “romance” going for 2 weeks now... knowing the show would drop eventually and he would ask for $$ or gift card. Today was the day he asked for a Steam Game gift Card... I told him right off what I do and how I was skeptical due to online romance scams. He’s really good!

So now that he’s asked of course not doing it ... is there anyway to trace or find out who and where this pos is?

Delete

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Online Threat Alerts Security Tips

Pay the safest way

Credit cards are the safest way to pay for online purchases because you can dispute the charges if you never get the goods or services or if the offer was misrepresented. Federal law limits your liability to $50 if someone makes unauthorized charges to your account, and most credit card issuers will remove them completely if you report the problem promptly.

Guard your personal information

In any transaction you conduct, make sure to check with your state or local consumer protection agency and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to see if the seller, charity, company, or organization is credible. Be especially wary if the entity is unfamiliar to you. Always call the number found on a website’s contact information to make sure the number legitimately belongs to the entity you are dealing with.

Be careful of the information you share

Never give out your codes, passwords or personal information, unless you are sure of who you're dealing with

Know who you’re dealing with

Crooks pretending to be from companies you do business with may call or send an email, claiming they need to verify your personal information. Don’t provide your credit card or bank account number unless you are actually paying for something and know who you are sending payment to. Your social security number should not be necessary unless you are applying for credit. Be especially suspicious if someone claiming to be from a company with whom you have an account asks for information that the business already has.

Check your accounts

Regularly check your account transactions and report any suspicious or unauthorised transactions.

Don’t believe promises of easy money

If someone claims that you can earn money with little or no work, get a loan or credit card even if you have bad credit, or make money on an investment with little or no risk, it’s probably a scam. Oftentimes, offers that seem too good to be true, actually are too good to be true.

Do not open email from people you don’t know

If you are unsure whether an email you received is legitimate, try contacting the sender directly via other means. Do not click on any links in an email unless you are sure it is safe.

Think before you click

If an email or text message looks suspicious, don’t open any attachments or click on the links.

Verify urgent requests or unsolicited emails, messages or phone calls before you respond

If you receive a message or a phone call asking for immediate action and don't know the sender, it could be a phishing message.

Be careful with links and new website addresses

Malicious website addresses may appear almost identical to legitimate sites. Scammers often use a slight variation in spelling or logo to lure you. Malicious links can also come from friends whose email has unknowingly been compromised, so be careful.

Secure your personal information

Before providing any personal information, such as your date of birth, Social Security number, account numbers, and passwords, be sure the website is secure.

Stay informed on the latest cyber threats

Keep yourself up to date on current scams by visiting this website daily.

Use Strong Passwords

Strong passwords are critical to online security.

Keep your software up to date and maintain preventative software programs

Keep all of your software applications up to date on your computers and mobile devices. Install software that provides antivirus, firewall, and email filter services.

Update the operating systems on your electronic devices

Make sure your operating systems (OSs) and applications are up to date on all of your electronic devices. Older and unpatched versions of OSs and software are the target of many hacks. Read the CISA security tip on Understanding Patches and Software Updates for more information.

What if You Got Scammed?

Stop Contact With The Scammer

Hang up the phone. Do not reply to emails, messages, or letters that the scammer sends. Do not make any more payments to the scammer. Beware of additional scammers who may contact you claiming they can help you get your lost money back.

Secure Your Finances

  • Report potentially compromised bank account, credit or debit card information to your financial institution(s) immediately. They may be able to cancel or reverse fraudulent transactions.
  • Notify the three major credit bureaus. They can add a fraud alert to warn potential credit grantors that you may be a victim of identity theft. You may also want to consider placing a free security freeze on your credit report. Doing so prevents lenders and others from accessing your credit report entirely, which will prevent them from extending credit:

Check Your Computer

If your computer was accessed or otherwise affected by a scam, check to make sure that your anti-virus is up-to-date and running and that your system is free of malware and keylogging software. You may also need to seek the help of a computer repair company. Consider utilizing the Better Business Bureau’s website to find a reputable company.

Change Your Account Passwords

Update your bank, credit card, social media, and email account passwords to try to limit further unauthorized access. Make sure to choose strong passwords when changing account passwords.

Report The Scam

Reporting helps protect others. While agencies can’t always track down perpetrators of crimes against scammers, they can utilize the information gathered to record patterns of abuse which may lead to action being taken against a company or industry.

Report your issue to the following agencies based on the nature of the scam:

  • Local Law Enforcement: Consumers are encouraged to report scams to their local police department or sheriff’s office, especially if you lost money or property or had your identity compromised.
  • Federal Trade Commission: Contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357) or use the Online Complaint Assistant to report various types of fraud, including counterfeit checks, lottery or sweepstakes scams, and more.
  • Identitytheft.gov: If someone is using your personal information, like your Social Security, credit card, or bank account number, to open new accounts, make purchases, or get a tax refund, report it at www.identitytheft.gov. This federal government site will also help you create your Identity Theft Report and a personal recovery plan based on your situation. Questions can be directed to 877-ID THEFT.

How To Recognize a Phishing Scam

Scammers use email or text messages to try to steal your passwords, account numbers, or Social Security numbers. If they get that information, they could get access to your email, bank, or other accounts. Or they could sell your information to other scammers. Scammers launch thousands of phishing attacks like these every day — and they’re often successful.

Scammers often update their tactics to keep up with the latest news or trends, but here are some common tactics used in phishing emails or text messages:

Phishing emails and text messages often tell a story to trick you into clicking on a link or opening an attachment. You might get an unexpected email or text message that looks like it’s from a company you know or trust, like a bank or a credit card or utility company. Or maybe it’s from an online payment website or app. The message could be from a scammer, who might

  • say they’ve noticed some suspicious activity or log-in attempts — they haven’t
  • claim there’s a problem with your account or your payment information — there isn’t
  • say you need to confirm some personal or financial information — you don’t
  • include an invoice you don’t recognize — it’s fake
  • want you to click on a link to make a payment — but the link has malware
  • say you’re eligible to register for a government refund — it’s a scam
  • offer a coupon for free stuff — it’s not real

About Online Threat Alerts (OTA)

Online Threat Alerts or OTA is an anti-cybercrime community that started in 2012. OTA alerts the public to cyber crimes and other web threats.

By alerting the public, we have prevented a lot of online users from getting scammed or becoming victims of cybercrimes.

With the ever-increasing number of people going online, it important to have a community like OTA that continuously alerts or protects those same people from cyber-criminals, scammers and hackers, who are every day finding new ways of carrying out their malicious activities.

Online users can help by reporting suspicious or malicious messages or websites to OTA. And, if they want to determine if a message or website is a threat or scam, they can use OTA's search engine to search for the website or parts of the message for information.

Help maintain Online Threat Alerts (OTA).

Steam Wallet Gift Card Scam