Steam friend requests: filtering spam and scams
A friend request from a stranger is almost never accidental. It is followed by a prepared script, and it is useful to know it in advance - then the conversation becomes predictable until the last remark.
Why strangers are added as friends, what scenarios follow, how to set up privacy against spam and what to do if you have already added them.
Why strangers add you
To write to chat. A request is a way to bypass the restriction on messages from outsiders.
To see your inventory and understand whether it’s worth working with you. Expensive open inventory attracts applications on its own.
To create the appearance of familiarity. A person on your friends list is more trustworthy than a random profile, and after a week of correspondence, the request seems more natural.
Sometimes these are just spam bots advertising websites. More harmless, but also not what you need a friends list for.
Common scam approaches
“Vote for my team / help with the tournament” - link to a page with a fake Steam login.
“A friend accidentally sent you an item, please return it” - an attempt to get an exchange from you, without any item on their part.
“Help me check if my exchange is working” - the beginning of the substitution.
“I have a discount on the site, I will sell it cheaper than the market” - withdrawal from the site into a personal transaction without protection.
“I am a representative of the site, we have a problem with your transaction” - sites do not communicate via private messages Steam.
What everyone has in common is that you are being taken somewhere or asked to do something. A real person doesn’t need anything from you in the first five minutes of a conversation.
Reducing unwanted requests
In your privacy settings, you can limit who can send you messages and requests. The easiest step is to close correspondence for those who are not friends.
If you have expensive inventory and it is open all the time, close it when it is not needed for an appraisal or transaction. There will be noticeably fewer applications.
Do not publish Trade URL in public profiles and comments. It is collected by bots, and a stream of trade offers follows.
Applications from accounts without games, with an empty profile and a recent registration date can be rejected without reading.
- The +rep comments on the profile do not prove anything - they are just fake.
- Levels and hours in games are also purchased.
- A rejected friend request does not threaten you with anything: the right person will write differently.
If you have already started talking
There is only one rule: do not follow links from the chat and do not open sites that were sent to you. Open the desired site yourself from your bookmarks.
Do not send items first and do not participate in any “test” exchanges. There is no such procedure.
If the conversation is about a deal, conduct it through a protected platform, and not directly. Saving on fees is never worth the risk of losing the entire item.
And remove from friends without explanation as soon as it becomes uncomfortable. You don't have to explain anything to anyone.
Frequently asked questions
Is it dangerous to accept friend requests from strangers?
The friend request itself is safe, but what comes next is dangerous: links to phishing, requests for exchange, deception into personal transactions.
How to remove spam requests?
Limit in the privacy settings who can write and add, close the inventory and do not publish the Trade URL in the public domain.
Does a high account level prove anything?
No. The level is purchased, and comments in the profile are increased. Fraudsters deliberately keep pumped up profiles.
Can site support write to Steam?
No. Platforms communicate through their website and email, and not through personal messages Steam.
What should I do if I followed the link and entered data?
From a clean device, change the mail password, then Steam, end all sessions, revoke the API key and scan the computer with an antivirus.
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