What are Steam card scams? A gamer’s guide to staying safer

Steam card scams use gift cards as a masking tactic, allowing cybercriminals to evade detection. Victims are tricked into buying Steam gift cards and sharing the codes. In some cases, scammers might also use free or discounted gift cards as bait to phish for account access and personal information.

Steam card scams often don’t happen in isolation and are usually part of a larger scheme, like romance scams or other phishing attacks. Take the case of Nikki MacLeod, a 77-year-old from Edinburgh who lost £17,000 in December 2024 after being convinced she was in a romantic long-distance relationship with a woman named “Alla Morgan.”

She received deepfake AI-generated videos of “Alla” on an oil rig. The scammer first built her trust, then asked for Steam gift cards to pay for her internet, claiming it was the only option available on the rig.

And that’s just one example. Keep reading for a breakdown of the most common Steam card scams. We’ll also explain why these gift cards are a favorite among criminals, and how you can keep yourself safe.

How do Steam gift card scams work?

Steam gift card scams are similar to other gift card scams in the sense that the scammer hooks you with a story, pressures you to buy a gift card, and disappears the moment they get what they need. This is usually your Steam gift card code or, in some extreme cases, access to your Steam account.

Most of these scams start as classic internet scams through DMs on social media, emails, or posts on marketplace platforms. However, scammers also exploit physical gift cards, particularly when targeting older adults who may be less familiar with digital payment methods.

One Reddit user said scammers convinced an elderly family member to buy $5,000 of Steam gift cards in $20 increments. The family member was then intimidated and psychologically manipulated to scratch off each card individually and read the codes aloud over the phone.

While the specifics may differ, most cybercriminals use the following pattern for Steam gift card scams:

1. Level 1 — Contact: Scammers contact you impersonating people you know or claiming to represent Steam’s customer service.
2. Level 2 — The hook: The scammer presents a scenario that seems believable. This can be a family emergency requiring immediate payment or a fake Steam card code that appears legit.
3. Level 3 — The ask: Rather than requesting traditional payment methods like bank transfers or credit cards, they insist on Steam gift cards. They also create a sense of urgency and time pressure to prevent you from cross-checking or asking for help.
4. Level 4 — Theft: The moment you share that gift card code, the scammer redeems it. Then, they vanish.

Why would a scammer want a Steam card?

Scammers want Steam gift cards because they’re hard to track, and they’re linked to one of the world’s most popular gaming platforms. They also offer no customer protections and are pretty much impossible to reverse once redeemed.

Even the Federal Trade Commission's Telemarketing Sales Rule, which requires “express verifiable authorization” for most payment methods, doesn’t extend the rule to gift cards.

This creates countless opportunities for cybercriminals to exploit victims while remaining virtually untraceable themselves. Some factors that make Steam cards particularly attractive to scammers are:

• Hard to trace: Once a code is redeemed, resold, or traded off-platform, investigators find it nearly impossible to follow the money trail back to the scammer.
• Irreversible: After a code is redeemed, there’s no refund or chargeback option. The money vanishes instantly, and recovery is rarely possible.
• Instantly valuable: Codes apply to accounts immediately upon redemption, so victims have no window to prevent the theft once they’ve revealed the information.
• Easy to liquidate: Scammers can quickly resell cards on third-party marketplaces to convert them into cash, further obscuring any trail back to the crime.

Types of Steam card scams

Steam gift card scams can include phishing, trade exchange scams, and payment scams, and scammers adapt their tactics based on whether they’re targeting you online or in person.

Here are some common types of Steam gift card scams to be aware of:

1. Steam card phishing emails

Steam card phishing emails often occur when someone impersonates Steam support, warning you of an urgent account issue or helping you activate a gift card. All you need to do is click a link or provide your login details to resolve the issue.

While some stop at getting access to your Steam account (and your gift cards), others are more insidious. There have been phishing attempts leading to malware installation and even identity theft.

One Reddit user received a fake email from Steam support stating that their account was “pending ban.” Hidden at the bottom of the email was a message stating to contact the moderator on Discord to appeal, not the official Steam support email, where, had they fallen for it, the user would’ve encountered a fake support agent tricking them into handing over their account credentials. It’s equal parts digital trickery and social engineering.

2. Impersonation scams

Similar to phishing emails, these scams involve cybercriminals posing as individuals you should trust, such as Steam officials, a friend, or a stranger on the internet, with a fake, convincing story. They may also masquerade as Steam marketers offering discounted gift cards.

Some online scammers also take a more patient approach, building genuine friendships over weeks (or months) to determine whether you own valuable in-game items or have significant funds in your Steam wallet.

Once they confirm you’re a worthwhile target, they’ll set up a more sophisticated scheme to compromise your entire account.

3. Steam gift card or trade exchange scams

These scams exploit Steam’s peer-to-peer gifting and trading features by approaching you with an offer that seems mutually beneficial. They’ll trade you a valuable in-game item in exchange for a Steam gift card, or they’ll send you a gift card or in-game item in exchange for another, then they ghost you after you send yours.

The problem is that Steam trades are final once complete; there’s no way to reverse it if one party doesn’t deliver. This type of “trust trade” is a common Steam scam, and can be hard to resist if the person tries to prove they’ve done it many times before, for example by sending you a screenshot of their trade history. But these images can be easily faked.

A good rule of thumb is to never trade (or friend someone on Steam, for that matter) with someone you don’t know, especially if they’re requesting Steam gift cards as payment.

4. Payment scams

Payment scams typically end with handing over gift-card codes or in-game items that the scammer can convert into cash. The routes they use vary, but each scammer creates a believable reason why a gift card, rather than a normal payment, is the only way to do it.

Here are some stories scammers might use to request Steam gift card payments:

• Romance or friendship scams: A friend or romantic interest asks you for money for a made-up scenario or emergency, and insists you send it in the form of Steam gift cards.
• Fake employer: They pose as partners or employers and ask you to set up payment access or share account info “for taxes” or to “process payments.” That access gets used to drain funds or redeem cards.
• Unexpected gift: You receive a gift, and hours or days later, the sender claims it was a mistake or that their account was hacked. They ask you to reimburse them with a Steam gift card, transfer money, or hand over another item.

All of these setups make gift card payments look like the only possible solution. In reality, they’re just a quick, untraceable way for scammers to steal your money.

5. Phony websites selling Steam gift cards

If you find yourself looking for discounted Steam gift cards, be wary of websites that seem overly generous. A $100 value offered for $50 or $60 may seem like a steal, but this is usually a fake Steam gift card.

Some websites also “gift” you $50 Steam cards. This is a trap to hijack your Steam account. Then there are the already-redeemed fake Steam cards. You buy them from a supposedly legit website or physical store, only to find out the card doesn’t work.

Red flags to watch for when buying and sending Steam gift cards

Spotting a Steam gift card scam can be tricky because scammers are professional schemers. Still, here are some warning signs and patterns you can watch for to protect yourself before it’s too late:

• Messages from unknown accounts: If you receive contact from a profile with little history, a generic username, or a recently created account, don’t accept their friend request or gift.
• Requests for payment via Steam cards: No reputable company, government agency, or service provider asks for gift cards to settle bills, taxes, fines, or emergencies.
• Pressure tactics: Phrases like “act now or lose this deal,” “your account will be suspended in one hour,” or “this is your final warning” are designed to provoke panic so you act before you think or get a second opinion.
• Odd phrasing: Poor spelling, unusual sentence structure, or language that doesn’t match the supposed sender’s profile may indicate a scam.
• Too-good-to-be-true deals: Heavily discounted Steam cards, free offers, or promises of easy money are almost always traps. Nobody’s just giving away free money.

How to dodge Steam game card scams

Steam game card scams rely on urgency, trust, and intimidation. By staying alert and following these security habits, you can stay safer while gaming:

• Treat unsolicited messages with skepticism: If someone you don’t know contacts you with an offer, a request for help, or a warning about your account, don’t rush into doing what they tell you.
• Verify directly with Steam: If you have doubts about a promotion, a support request, or an account issue, go to steampowered.com or the official app. Don’t rely on links from messages, no matter how official they appear.
• Enable two-factor authentication: A second layer of security via 2FA can prevent unauthorized access even if a scammer gets their hands on your password.
• Redeem gift cards immediately: Redeem cards right away if you’ve purchased them for yourself or a loved one. Doing so can reduce the chance they’re tampered with before use. This can help prevent resale fraud (like buying a dud card), though it won’t protect against phishing or impersonation scams.

Don’t get played by Steam card scams

Steam gift card scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated, targeting seasoned gamers, newcomers, and non-gamers alike. It can feel overwhelming to constantly be on the lookout, but staying alert and sticking to a few basic security habits can go a long way in keeping your account, and your money, safe.

For an extra layer of defense, use Norton 360 Deluxe and the built-in scam detection feature. Just take a screenshot of a suspicious email, text, or websites, and pop it in the tool. In seconds, Norton can tell you if what you’re seeing is likely to be a scam.

FAQs

Are Steam cards safe?

Steam gift cards themselves are perfectly safe when purchased from legitimate retailers as long as they’re not tampered with. The danger comes when scammers pressure people to use them for non-gaming payments or exploit them as part of larger phishing schemes.

Why is someone asking me to buy a Steam card?

If someone is asking you to buy Steam cards for anything other than as part of a holiday or birthday list, it's almost certainly a scam. Scammers favor these cards because they are untraceable and irreversible once the funds are redeemed.

Can Steam cards be turned into cash?

No, you cannot turn a Steam gift card into cash directly because the funds are tied to your Steam account, and Steam does not offer a cash withdrawal option. That said, scammers do liquidate them by selling unwanted cards through peer-to-peer marketplaces, gift card exchange sites, and even cryptocurrency platforms.