Criminals Are Selling Your Steam Data For Just $15

[munx13]

Giving away your password because you're a stupid person =/= being hacked.

actually, it's called social engineering, why delve into a server looking for passwords to access an account when you can just pose as the sysadmin and contact the guy whose account you want and get him to tell you his login details?

And yes, it is considered hacking.

Unless if your idea of a hacker is some pasty overweight guy who is surrounded by monitors dressed like he is from the Matrix listening to dubstep/techno 24/7 who taps three keys on his keyboard and instantly gets into any server.


Because if that's the case:

hue hue hue hue hue hue

I'm sorry, but I'm having a hard time believing that asking someone for his/her password is hacking.

Using exploits on old/outdated software (like in that PSN debacle years ago) however, is.

 

[SilverUchiha]

For a minute, I thought I might actually have something pressing to worry about. From the looks of it, it's the idiots who pay for someone else to play the game for them or people who have been duped into false trades. Then there's me, who only sells those useless market place items and plays the games for himself. *knock on wood* I think I'll be just fine unless someone deliberately goes after me for some reason since I don't do any of the above.

 

[Signa]

Giving away your password because you're a stupid person =/= being hacked.

actually, it's called social engineering, why delve into a server looking for passwords to access an account when you can just pose as the sysadmin and contact the guy whose account you want and get him to tell you his login details?

And yes, it is considered hacking.

Unless if your idea of a hacker is some pasty overweight guy who is surrounded by monitors dressed like he is from the Matrix listening to dubstep/techno 24/7 who taps three keys on his keyboard and instantly gets into any server.


Because if that's the case:

hue hue hue hue hue hue

I'm sorry, but I'm having a hard time believing that asking someone for his/her password is hacking.

Using exploits on old/outdated software (like in that PSN debacle years ago) however, is.

In the tech world, it still falls under the same security category as hacking. They also refer to it as social engineering (as stated above).

You can be guaranteed that if you took a tech course that you'd be asked a question about hacks, and social engineering being an answer to that question. I agree that "hacking" brings images of a guy furiously typing at a keyboard to mind, but it can be anything that involves compromising a system. That includes getting a phone operator to divulge information that you can use if you call back again and get a different operator. It was a flaw in the operator system that is being exploited, even if no software and programing is involved.

 

[AlwaysPractical]

Easiest fix: only browse the Steam Community from in the Steam client. It doesn't allow non-official Steam sites to be opened. Now don't tell people your password and problem solved.

 

[Ticklefist]

I'll gladly sell my Steam account for a reasonable sum. My backlog is a freakin' burden.

 

[Glaice]

At least I'm not stupid enough to care that much for achievements or trade publically on forums or community hubs. Also, I'm not the type who would click a link from an unknown person when the link obviously looks dodgy.

 

[ShadowGandalf01]

I don't go onto the marketplace, and I never EVER hack. (I care about PS Trophies, but not about Steam Achievements)... Does this mean I'm safe?

 

[Freyar]

So which are you? Someone that cooperates and then gets hacked, someone who doesn't realize what's going on but gets hacked anyway? Or have you been lucky so far?

This is indicating nobody's smart enough to avoid this crap. Considering my SteamID is almost 10 years old and has a lot of my history with it, I'm absolutely paranoid about losing it. You can deal with the Steam Community in a safe manner, it just takes due diligence to check links and frankly not enough people do that.

Steam has a hell of a support problem, and it's mainly because end-users are stupid.

Aside: Let's call things what it is. Social Engineering or stupidity. Hacking indicates a vulnerability with the system, and that is an end-user problem not an issue with Steam's security.

 

[Headsprouter]

Steam Acheivements? Who gives a crap about those?

Does this mean using a site such as Backpack.tf is unsafe?

Besides that, you'd probably be pretty dumb to click a dodgy link or accept a IP-giving call from a complete stranger.

 

[Schadrach]

Has Steamguard been hacked yet? I figured that having a different password between your Steam and email accounts is all you need to protect yourself from these attacks.

That's what I was wondering, but no one seems to mention -- if someone were to try to log on to my account from (for example) Russia, wouldn't they need a code emailed to my address, letting me know it happened?

 

[Hairless Mammoth]

Are people on Steam really desperate enough to pay and give away their sensitive info for the chance to raise some useless stat in their games? I thought it was bad on xbox live. Falling for phishing is sometimes understandable since your wanting to do whatever task you want done really quick and don't see subtle differences in the site layout and URL. Either way the entirety of the internet needs to learn to be a lot more careful and wary of either method.

Easiest fix: only browse the Steam Community from in the Steam client. It doesn't allow non-official Steam sites to be opened. Now don't tell people your password and problem solved.

That would be the smart thing to do. Regrettably, the general public isn't into doing the smart thing. I never really liked logging on with my Live or PSN account in a browser because it looses that layer of security. And if I ever get a call or even make a call where the person asks my for my credit card info, account info or passwords, I'm hanging up (possibly after a string of foul language.)

 

[Cerebrawl]

So which are you? Someone that cooperates and then gets hacked, someone who doesn't realize what's going on but gets hacked anyway? Or have you been lucky so far?

False dichotomy.

I don't download cheats/hacks.

I've hardly set foot in the market, I sell cards from my inventory, that's about it.

And most importantly, I'm not dumb enough to fall for phishing.

I also have up to date antivirus with browser plugin, as well as some other protective software, so I'm not so likely to get infected by something. My steam account and email aren't the same, and have different passwords, the steam account name refers to a defunct email from an email site that's been dead for over a decade...

 

[Seracen]

I run Steam in offline mode all the time, barring when I purchase a game with prepaid Steam Wallet Cards. I distrust digital shopping by design. Hell, I am one of those people that still prefers calling in their pizza order (although this is mainly b/c I am too lazy/paranoid to create an account).

Also, I am morally opposed to buying extraneous DLC (ie cosmetic stuff) for games I've paid for. F2P is less offensive, but that's something else entirely. Considering that I don't do MP much, I pass by most F2P games with microtransactions (current exception is SWTOR, but I rarely buy things in their Cartel Market).

 

[WhiteTigerShiro]

Steam Acheivements? Who gives a crap about those?

Plenty of people. That said though, I feel little sympathy for people who are too lazy and/or incompetent to get their own achievements and hire a third party to farm for them. If you really care about your achievement completion, then you should be willing to grind them yourself.

 

[Roxas1359]

Hell, I am one of those people that still prefers calling in their pizza order (although this is mainly b/c I am too lazy/paranoid to create an account).

Just so you know, well if you're in the US, none of the pizza services that allow you to order online require you to have an account. You need to provide your email for that order specifically in some cases, but you don't need an account and they won't spam your email with ads or anything. Take it from someone who orders online for pizza all the time, because if they started giving you ads without your consent it's grounds for a lawsuit, and no retail fast-food chain likes those.

That said though, I feel little sympathy for people who are too lazy and/or incompetent to get their own achievements and hire a third party to farm for them. If you really care about your achievement completion, then you should be willing to grind them yourself.

Wait, there are people that do that? 0.o
That's...that's just a plain waste of money right there for a digital little icon or reward that has no effect on the physical world whatsoever.

OT: I've dealt with scammers before on Steam, they weren't the smartest tools in the shed that's for sure. Honestly I don't have any personal information or credit card/debit card information on my Steam account because of the possibility of hackers. I don't have a card on any account for consoles or online gaming in general for that reason.

 

[Grimh]

So in other words, criminals are not selling my Steam data for just 15$?

That's good to know I guess.