Steam trading safety, written for traders.
What the scams look like, how to vet an account, and what to do when something goes wrong.
How to check if a Steam trader is a scammer
A practical checklist for vetting any Steam trader before you trade: account age, bans, trade restrictions, inventory privacy, reputation lists and red flags in the conversation.
6 min read · Updated Oct 21, 2026Steam trade scams explained: the six you are most likely to meet
API key hijacking, phishing, item switching, impersonation, fake middlemen and chargebacks: how each Steam scam works, the warning signs, and what protects you.
7 min read · Updated Oct 21, 2026Steam ID formats explained
What SteamID64, SteamID2 (STEAM_0:X:Y), SteamID3 ([U:1:x]) and vanity URLs are, how they relate, how to convert between them, and which to use for trading.
5 min read · Updated Oct 21, 2026Steam trade bans and trade probation, explained
What an economy ban means on Steam, the difference between "probation" and "banned", why accounts get restricted, and how to read it when vetting a trader.
4 min read · Updated Oct 21, 2026Does a VAC ban mean someone is a scammer?
A VAC ban means Valve's anti-cheat caught cheating. It does not mean scamming, but it is relevant when you decide who to trust. How to read VAC and game bans.
4 min read · Updated Oct 21, 2026How to report a Steam scammer
Step-by-step: what to do right after a Steam scam, how to report the account to Valve and to community databases, and the evidence that makes a report credible.
5 min read · Updated Oct 21, 2026The Steam API key scam: how to check and what to do
How the Steam Web API key scam works, how to see whether a key is registered on your account, and the steps to revoke it and secure your account.
4 min read · Updated Oct 21, 2026