Published: 06/23/2024By: Megan Francis
Steam card scams are a common type of online fraud. Scammers often ask people to buy Steam cards for them because they can resell them quickly online. They might sell the cards at face value or even at a discount to cash out fast. This allows them to turn the cards into money easily and without any trace.
There are a few other reasons as well. They can buy items with the cards and then sell them online or tell the Steam support team that they need a refund because they’ve made an accidental purchase using their card.
In this article, you’ll learn why a scammer would want a Steam card. We’ll also explain how you can protect yourself from such a scam.
Why Do Scammers Ask People to Buy Steam Cards?
As mentioned above, the most common reason why scammers trick people into buying Steam cards for them is so they can resell them online at a discounted price. Some try to sell them at the original retail price, but it’s very common to see websites that sell these cards at a fraction of their face value, offering buyers a deal.
The most common method of contact used by scammers is email. They usually send convincing messages pretending to be someone trustworthy, pushing recipients to buy Steam cards for them with misleading reasons.
For example, they might pretend to be a tech support agent from a well-known company like Amazon or eBay, requesting Steam cards as a form of payment for resolving a supposed issue with your account or computer.
They’ll ask you to buy $500-$1500 worth of Steam gift cards and then provide them with the card codes. Once you’ve shared the codes, they’ll stop replying to your emails or messages, leaving you with no way to recover the money spent on the cards.
One reason why scammers ask people to buy Steam cards specifically is because these cards aren’t linked to anyone’s bank account, making them harder to trace back to the scammer once they are redeemed or resold.
Another reason why they like Steam cards is because they’re easy to get and can be used globally. This allows them to target a large number of people across different countries and regions.
How to Protect Yourself From Steam Card Scams
There are multiple ways to avoid falling victim to Steam card scams. Below, we have shared some tips to help you stay safe.
1. Use a Reverse Lookup Tool
The first thing you should do when you receive an email or message from an unknown person is try to find out who the sender is. Most scammers use email addresses that look legitimate at first glance, so verify the sender’s identity through a reverse lookup tool.
There are tons of free reverse lookup tools on the internet. There are four main types: reverse name lookup tool, reverse address lookup tool, reverse phone number lookup tool, and reverse email lookup tool.
Which one you should use depends on how you were contacted by the scammer. If they sent you an email, then use a reverse email lookup tool to verify their identity and check if there are any reports of suspicious activity associated with that email address.
If they reached out to you through a call or text message, try using a reverse number lookup tool for the phone number. This tool will give you lots of different information about the person behind the number, such as their full name, email address, and even their social media handles.
You can then use the information you get from these tools to decide if you should report the contact or block them to protect yourself from being scammed. Reporting them to authorities would be the best option to prevent others from falling victim to similar scams.
Note that these reverse lookup tools are completely legal to use. The information you get from using them is available for everyone to see on the internet. You could look for it yourself using Google, but that would take too much time. These tools compile all the scattered data and present it to you in the form of a report.
2. Take the Cards Back to the Store
According to the Federal Trade Commission, almost 40,000 people fell victim to gift card scams in the first nine months of 2021. Most retail stores are aware of these scams and would be more than happy to help you. If you’ve been scammed by someone, then take the Steam cards back to the store where you bought them and explain the situation to the staff.
The staff will scan the cards to see if they have been used. If the cards have been activated but have not been redeemed yet, then you can get a refund.
3. Use a Caller ID App
A caller ID app like Truecaller can help you find out the identity of unknown callers and even identify spam numbers. These apps warn you about potential scam calls and let you block them, making it easier to avoid falling for phone scams. This way, you can see who’s trying to contact you and stay clear of suspicious calls.
Many of these apps allow users to report scam numbers, which helps to build a database of known scammers and protect others from falling victim.
4. Use Antivirus Software
While an antivirus might not be able to defend against scammers who contact you directly by phone, it may come in handy if they send you emails or tell you to visit a website. Antivirus software is great at protecting against malware and phishing attempts (fake emails that try to trick you into giving away personal information).
If the software detects malicious emails, websites, or downloads, it will automatically block them. This helps keep you safe not only from gift card scams but also from many other types of viruses and malware.
5. Report to the Authorities
If you’ve already given your Steam cards to the scammer and they’ve redeemed the codes, then unfortunately, the only thing left to do is to report the incident to the authorities.
Contact your local law enforcement to file a report. Try to provide as much information as you can, such as the scammer’s email address, phone numbers, and any messages they sent to you.
Stay Informed About Common Scams
There’s no better way to protect yourself from scams than by keeping yourself updated on the latest methods scammers use to deceive people. The more you know about how these people operate, the easier it’ll be for you to avoid falling victim to their schemes.
Keep in mind that no legitimate company will ever ask for payment in the form of Steam cards or any other gift cards. When you receive a call or an email from an unknown sender, always verify their identity before providing any information or taking action.
Use a reverse lookup tool to find out more information about them or simply run a quick Google search and see if anything comes up.
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