TLDR: The community and fraudster techniques have evolved such that SteamRep’s ‘reputation’ model, established over a decade ago, is no longer effective or sustainable enough to maintain.

SteamRep was designed to safeguard gamers against members of the community who committed fraud or other illicit behavior. This was done through education as well as community reporting of malicious actors.
Over time, as the community grew and trading became more complex, so too did the methods used to steal. Scammers now frequently use alternate accounts and third-party platforms to obfuscate their actions, preventing reasonable evidence gathering.

The individual scammer has become the exception, and in its place are organized criminal groups stealing users’ accounts en masse, selling off those items, and using these stolen accounts to find their next unsuspecting victim.
SteamRep lacks the information that Valve or Law Enforcement has access to, and is largely ineffective against this level of organized fraud. Many of the reports we receive are reporting users who themselves are the victims of account hijackings, and trying to take action against those users only results in further difficulties.

Unfortunately, the majority of exposure SteamRep has with the community at large occurs after a user becomes a victim of a scam, and there is nothing we can do to help those who are already victims. This makes SteamRep’s objective of using education to prevent scams from occurring less effective. Due to these developments, and the challenge of working within the existing model, we felt a sunset was for the best.

This has been a long journey, and we very much appreciate all of the community and partner support, as well as the incredible hard work of our volunteers over the years.


While SteamRep’s ultimate dissolution is set in stone, the finer details are largely open-ended right now, as we seek staff/partner feedback on considerations needed for sunset. We have a rough outline approved by the OFPF (Online Fraud and Prevention Foundation) Board:

• Effective immediately, no new scam reports will be processed by SteamRep. Partners' bans from scam reports will not be reflected in SteamRep.
  
• All partner admin tags will be discarded on Saturday, June 29th, the date of this announcement, with limited exceptions (e.g. working in appeals).
  
  • Public notes from Notable Affiliate[http//%27https] profiles will also be removed, and the section of our website featuring them will be taken down.
• New appeals will be closed as of Saturday, July 13th. No appeals submitted after that date - SteamRep or partners - will be honored, but all appeals created prior to that date will be processed by end of 2024.
  
  • Some partners may choose, at their sole discretion, to extend this cutoff for themselves on a community by community basis.
• SteamRep's forums and main website, including all reports, appeals, and other evidence, will be retired at the end of 2024. The API will continue to function at this time.
  
• SteamRep's API will be retired June 15th, 2025.
  
• An archive of our BANNED and CAUTION tags will be exported and shared with the public.

Below is the preliminary overview. We will have more details as we discuss more with our staff and partners.

• Website will remain viewable until end of calendar year 2024
  
• API calls will be retired as of June 15, 2025.
  
• A backup dump of all bans will be published for the community to use as they see fit after that time.
  
  • BANNED and CAUTION tags will be preserved.
    
  • We are evaluating the practicality of preserving public notes (Additional Info from Admins), and may include this in the backup alongside BANNED and CAUTION tags.
    
  • All Private notes, evidence, and anything else not specified here, will be discarded.
• Everything else not listed here will be discarded, and to protect everyone's privacy, we have taken proactive measures to prevent anyone in the community from creating their own backup.

• New reports will be suspended upon public announcement
  
• Access to private sections of forum will be suspended
  
  • Requests from community admins go through Private Requests.
• New OPT OUT requests will be put on pause mid July.
  
  • A different system may be replacing it, still in discussion.
• No new forum accounts as of Q4 (exact date TBD).
  
• At the end of year, forum will be discarded, no backups made.

Effective immediately, no new scam reports may be submitted to our database, either through SteamRep or any partner community. Partners' bans from scam reports in their own communities will not be reflected in SteamRep. We will attempt to honor unresolved reports in partner communities that were created prior to this announcement of sunset (if active).
SteamRep admins reserve the right to make exceptions and issue BANNED tags at any time prior to full sunset in extreme circumstances - such as a rogue admin taking advantage of this announcement. Such tags will be included in the final export of BANNED and CAUTION tags, allowing communities to continue excluding such individuals from their sites or servers. Same applies to appeals.


We welcome any partners or other communities who wish to help protect the community from scammers, but while we trust our partners today, it would be impossible to guarantee that any successor would/could maintain integrity practices in perpetuity. Similarly, we cannot make any long-term guarantees about proper handling of evidence data. In the end, to protect privacy, that data will not be transferred to any community wishing to carry the mission.


SteamRep has not been accepting donations for a long while now, but the Online Fraud Prevention Foundation (OFPF)[http//%27http] charity has sufficient remaining funds to manage the site through the sunset period.
OFPF itself will continue after the sunset, but any future plans here are not certain. The goal is to continue its mission of protecting online gamers from fraud through education, awareness, and tools. If your community is working in this space, we’d be happy to discuss how OFPF knowledge or resources can assist in stopping online fraud.

For discussion, see this thread: https://forums.steamrep.com/threads/steamrep-is-shutting-down.201641/

One of the most common questions we receive from celebrity figures is what we can do about scammers impersonating them. While in practice there is little we can do for any being being impersonated, we do have mechanisms by which to verify the identity of our staff and affiliated community admins. For a while we used one of these - in the form of a warning about impersonation[files.steamrep.com] - to combat scammers impersonating our own trusted community admins. Out of fear of this flag being used as a "vouch" before scamming, similar to a "verified" status being used for credibility, we limited that mechanism to vetted and trusted community admins only. That concern still exists, but after weighing the pros and cons, we think offering it to those outside our trusted circle who frequently get impersonated is mutually beneficial - that is, it gives impersonated celebrities something to help clear their name, while also broadening the usefulness of our impersonation flag to the wider community. If more traders routinely check our database to confirm who they're interacting with, our ability to curb impersonation and other scams may grow, and with it the utility of the warning flag for any given celebrity, making this arrangement mutually beneficial.

The impersonation warning will be applied on an as needed basis, to those who are actually impersonated, not merely on request. However, regardless of active impersonators, we will still publicly link the celebrity's stream or equivalent online persona from their SteamRep profile along with an explanation of who they are, allowing them to use SteamRep to verify their identity even if they're not yet impersonated. Both of these perks will only be offered to accepted Notable Affiliates.

As we open this up to the broader public, we'd like to emphasize that a link to someone's stream or warning about being impersonated does not mean the real person won't scam you - and we've even seen high profile scammers get impersonated. Like with donators, we will try to perform a basic background check to keep scammers out, and we hope most celebrities will not try to "cash in" on their reputation, but we have seen a fair share of streamers scamming. For comparison, more than half of our incoming donators end up scamming, typically after using the tag as a sign of legitimacy, so it's really important you not automatically trust someone more for this status.

We would also like to recommend that traders everywhere take a moment before each trade to carefully check SteamRep profiles[steamrep.com] of anyone claiming to be a famous streamer or competitive player before trading. Please remember, however, that just because the person is the real streamer doesn't mean they can be trusted, and having their stream linked or a warning about impersonation doesn't automatically make someone more trustworthy than other traders.

In addition, the Notable Affiliate program will entitle anyone accepted to most of the same privileges of a SteamRep Friend Community. That includes access to a private section in our forums, and an invitation to a private Discord server where they will be able to speak directly and privately with other public figures, admins from websites and communities throughout Steam, and SteamRep staff directly. Here, you will be able (and encouraged) to interact with us (and other communities or public figures) directly, to help bridge the disconnect, learn more than you thought possible about how scammers operate, and use that knowledge to help educate your followers. Note: Specific sources and conversations within either the forums or Discord are still confidential. Do not share any specific sources from within or your affiliation will be terminated.

• Eligibility for a public note on your SteamRep profile, indicating who you are, with a link to your stream or online persona.
  
• Warning dialog about impersonators[files.steamrep.com] upon request, if deemed necessary by SteamRep staff.
  
• Access to a private section of SteamRep forums, with a banner on your forum profile indicating your status.
  
• Invitation to a private Discord with other public figures, site admins from SteamRep-affiliated communities, and SteamRep staff.
  
• An open line of communication with SteamRep staff to give feedback on what we do, how we operate, or to ask us questions directly.

• Protection or leniency from getting marked if caught scamming.
  
  • You'll actually receive less benefit of doubt than a newer trader might receive.
    
  • As a leader people look up to, the community will scrutinize you even more.
• "Trusted" reputation status or green tag on your SteamRep profile (only offered to partner communities).
  
• Ability to issue BANNED tags on scammer profiles by yourself (only offered to partner communities).
  
• Influence over decisions on individual cases where you or your friends are involved.

To apply as a Notable Affiliate, you must have a clean reputation, and be able to demonstrate that you have a substantial following. While an exact subscriber count is not disclosed, if you are not already widely recognized, and you expect to use a Notable Affiliation to become famous, this program is not for you.

While Notable Affiliates are not necessarily traders, they are expected to follow these rules at all times:

• No endorsing Steam/CSGO gambling sites of any kind. (read below for why)
  
  
• Must take a public stance denouncing scams of all kinds.
  
• May not participate in anything shady, whether or not it's within our investigative policy.
  
• Must not use SteamRep affiliation or branding while endorsing other sites, services, or products.
  
• Content on stream or profiles must be reasonably socially appropriate, and comply with the host's ToS.
  
  • No racism, inciting violence, hate speech, etc.
• Must not use "verified" status as a tool for leveraging trust or deals from other traders.
  
• Must not be publicly or privately abusive to SteamRep volunteers, Friend communities, or Partner communities.
  
  • Disagreements are fine, if they're kept respectful, and in private.

Notable Affiliates are also expected to help promote safe trading, in whatever capacity they are able, and publicly condemn fraud.

What does SteamRep have against gambling?

While recognize gambling has become a popular (or addictive) part of CS:GO that isn't going away no matter how much we or Valve wish it would, we don't want to send a mixed message about some illegitimate websites being "safe" while others are not, or to promote the idea that gambling is "safe" to a varied extent. It would be nice if we could promote a set of "best practices" for gambling safely, but between respecting Valve's stance on commercial gambling websites, our own API usage being contingent upon following their subscriber agreement, and a lack of transparency for the websites methods of determining winners as seen with many past infamous gambling partners, we cannot in good conscience recommend any gambling website - no matter how legitimate its owners claim to be. Further, with a large portion of the CS:GO playerbase being underage - both legally prohibited from gambling in most countries, and psychologically more prone to addiction - we cannot justify the risks of encouraging children to gamble. Therefore, we are standing firmly behind Valve's position that there is no such thing as a legitimate gambling website in Steam, and nobody affiliated with SteamRep should suggest otherwise.

While we cannot definitively vouch for a celebrity as "trustworthy", we are enforcing a minimal code of conduct for Notable Affiliates similar to what we expect from affiliated communities. This is in order to prevent (or minimize) a Notable Affiliate from being abused to further the cause of online gambling or fraud. We aren't going to tell you not to gamble yourself - that's your own decision, and isn't shady in itself so we won't stand in your way - but we will ask that you not encourage your viewers to use any gambling websites as a condition of affiliation. With the consistently sketchy history of those promoting such websites, we think it's for the best.

Read more: https://forums.steamrep.com/threads/new-notable-affiliate-program-for-public-figures.185342/

TL;DR - Do not accept any trade offers until Valve has figured out a fix and issued a public statement. You can and likely will lose your items if you do, and Steam Support won't give them back.

There are multiple reports of brand new Steam games publishing their own (unused) item schemas using Valve's assets and thumbnails, completely unused even by their own games, intended to look like high-value items from Valve games.

These items are NOT from the respective games they appear to be from, and therefore cannot be used. No, that purple-border hat that says it has a "burning flames" effect won't show up in any of your TF2 loadouts. The scammer simply uploaded the thumbnail from a real item into their own game's assets, and copied the description into all their own item's respective fields to look as identical as possible. Again, even though you see that high-value item in your trade window, it isn't real.

Initially, I intended to keep this quiet, in hopes we wouldn't have copycats, so it's admittedly a bit old, but since the original thread (posted on the popular TF2 trading forums Backpack.tf)[forums.backpack.tf] to my dismay has received widespread attention throughout the community, scammers have taken notice, and other shovelware games have begun following suit.

I myself, along with several other high profile trading community admins, attempted to quietly contact Valve (both groups and individuals) about this over multiple channels including Steam chat and email, but have yet to receive any comment or acknowledgement. Given Valve's longtime stance against curating the Steam Store, and a lack of response to reports about this scam, the method will probably continue increasing in popularity for the foreseeable future. Therefore, you should make sure you know how to protect yourself, because you'll most likely run into it yourself soon.

Our previous announcement recommended checking the name of the game for each item you receive, under the belief that developers couldn’t change it. It turns out, I was wrong, and scammers are doing exactly that with their asset flips and shovelware games. In response to the PSA, scammers have made fake items practically indistinguishable[files.steamrep.com] from real ones. We recommend you stop trading altogether until Valve has figured out a way to fix this and issued a public statement, which may not happen for a while.

If you see a trade offer containing bogus items from a shovelware game, *please* do the community a favor and report it. Not just the trade offer, but the game itself. To report a game in the Steam Store:

* Click on the tiny flag icon below all the game's technical specifications. You can find it here[files.steamrep.com].
* Select the **Fraud** option, and explain that you received a trade offer containing misrepresented items. (Screenshot)[files.steamrep.com]

Related PSA: https://www.reddit.com/r/Steam/comments/9315ju/steam_direct_shovelware_developers_creating_fake/

TL;DR - **Make sure you double-check each item offered in all of your trades to make sure it's from the correct game.** There are multiple reports of brand new Steam games publishing their own (unused) item schemas using Valve's assets and thumbnails, completely unused even by their own games, intended to look like high-value items from Valve games.

These items are NOT from the respective games they appear to be from, and therefore cannot be used. No, that purple-border hat that says it has a "burning flames" effect won't show up in any of your TF2 loadouts. The scammer simply uploaded the thumbnail from a real item into their own game's assets, and copied the description into all their own item's respective fields to look as identical as possible. Again, even though you see that high-value item in your trade window, it isn't real.

Initially, I intended to keep this quiet, in hopes we wouldn't have copycats, so it's admittedly a bit old, but since the original thread (posted on the popular TF2 trading forums Backpack.tf)[forums.backpack.tf] to my dismay has received widespread attention throughout the community, scammers have taken notice, and other shovelware games have begun following suit.

I myself, along with several other high profile trading community admins, attempted to quietly contact Valve (both groups and individuals) about this over multiple channels including Steam chat and email, but have yet to receive any comment or acknowledgement. Given Valve's longtime stance against curating the Steam Store, and a lack of response to reports about this scam, the method will probably continue increasing in popularity for the foreseeable future. Therefore, you should make sure you know how to protect yourself, because you'll most likely run into it yourself soon.

This is very crafty, but can be caught with some extra due dilligence if you pay really close attention. When inspected in the owner's inventory, or hovered over in a trade window, each item lists what game it is from right below its name, next to an arbitrary icon (which seems to be set by developers and *can* look like the real game) right here where I've outlined[files.steamrep.com]. For comparison, here is what a real item, from its respective game, will look like[files.steamrep.com] in a trade offer window if you hover over it. This seems to be the ***only*** detail shovelware developers can't change, and it's your **one** warning that something is wrong before you finalize that trade. Once you commit, the item will be placed in a new, separate inventory tab for the shovelware game, and you won't be able to use it in any other games (or the shovelware one either, considering how these items are generally used).

If you see a trade offer containing bogus items from a shovelware game, *please* do the community a favor and report it. Not just the trade offer, but the game itself. To report a game in the Steam Store:

* Click on the tiny flag icon below all the game's technical specifications. You can find it here[files.steamrep.com].
* Select the **Fraud** option, and explain that you received a trade offer containing misrepresented items. (Screenshot)[files.steamrep.com]

Related PSA: https://www.reddit.com/r/Steam/comments/9315ju/steam_direct_shovelware_developers_creating_fake/

All traded items from CS:GO are now untradeable for 7 days, much like anything bought from the community market.

http://blog.counter-strike.net/index.php/2018/03/20308/