Scams

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Gutless. Click to listen — The Engineer when asked to describe scammers in one word

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With the introduction of Trading in the Mann-Conomy Update, players have been scamming and attempting to scam others in hopes of obtaining more items than deserved. Scams have always been an unwanted aspect in many games which feature a trading system.

Note: Scamming is against Steam's Terms of Service and is a bannable offense.

Notable Types of Scams

Multiple Trade Transactions

There are two versions of this scam:

• A buyer offers to trade more than eight Items. Once the first eight have been traded for the seller's item, the seller leaves without completing the rest of the trade offer.
• The seller offers one item for more than eight items, and insists that the buyer trades eight items first, then gets the item on the second transaction. The seller then leaves without completing the trade.

External Trades

External Trades involve trading for items outside of TF2, such as money or gifted games on Steam. The scammer makes offers of money or a game for items waiting for someone to respond. He/she then insists that the victim gives him/her the items first. Once the trade is completed, the scammer will run away with the victim's items and avoid the victim.

Note: Trading items for money and/or games is against Steam's Terms of Service.

Two-Man Scam

This scam involves two players working in tandem. Player A says he/she wants to buy Item X and is willing to pay a higher price for it than most people would and ignores all trade requests. Player B says he/she is selling Item X for less than Player A is willing to pay for it. The two players ignore each others' offers.

The objective of this scam is to make the victim think he/she can buy Item X from Player B and sell it immediately to Player A for a profit. Once the victim buys the item from Player B, Player A changes his/her mind and no longer wants the item or disconnects from the server.

Customization Services

This scam involves the scammer offering to customize an item for a player, such as painting or renaming it. The scammer either takes the item and doesn't return it or offers collateral which he believes is not worth as much as the item being offered for customization. This scam also exists in the form of "Unboxing Services", where the scammer offers to unlock a player's Mann Co. Supply Crate, and return the item inside.

Note: Mann Co. Supply Crate Keys, Paint Cans, and other Tools are now tradable, it is recommended that you trade for the tool, and apply it yourself.

Insurance Scam

An insurance scam involves the scammer allowing a player to test an item, but wants an exceedingly valued item in your backpack as collateral to ensure the player doesn't simply run off with his/her item. The scammer then doesn't return the item which is more valuable.

Obsolete Scams

Changes to the trading window in the October 20, 2010 Patch have allowed players to see item rarity via the background color of the item's image, rendering the following scams null.

Item Rarity Swap

For this scam to work, the scammer must have two items of different rarities. The scammer first puts the higher rarity item in the trade window, so the buyer view it. Once the trade negotiations are finished and just before the trade is accepted, the scammer switches the higher rarity item for a lower rarity item.

Fake Rarity

The Fake Rarity scam involves a player renaming an item with a prefix representing a higher rarity version of the same item. The scammer then trades the item with a false rarity for more than the item is worth.

Avoiding Scams

Avoiding scams is easy when following a simple set of guidelines.

• Avoid multiple transaction trades, unless you absolutely trust the person you are trading with.
  • If you do make a multiple transaction trade, make sure it is well documented. Take screenshots of the negotiation conversations, to provide proof in case you get scammed.
    • Please keep in mind that if you are the victim of a multiple transaction scam, and even if you have documented proof, you still may be unable to recover your items because you agreed to the trade.
  • Another tip is to make sure you have items of equal value for each transaction. Example: Player A asks for 12 keys for one of his high valued items, Player B provides 8 keys and ask three of Player A's items valued at 8 keys. During the next transaction, Player B gives Player A the additional 4 keys plus the items valued at 8 keys for Player A's high valued item. This assures that even if Player A leaves after the first trade, Player B didn't walk away empty handed.
• Never give away an item on the other player's promise of returning it.
• Pay attention to the background color of the items being traded, signifying Rarity.
• Always re-check items being traded after seeing the "Offer is changing... Please wait" message.
• Be cautious when receiving items for free, the other player may report you for scamming.
• Take your time when conducting a trade. Don't give into the other player's pressure if they're pushing you to trade.
• There are many players with the same item you may be looking for, if it seems like a player is trying to scam you with the item, find someone else to trade with.

Reporting Scammers

If you have been scammed, you can file a Steam support ticket and explain the situation. It helps to provide evidence of the scam, such as conversation logs of negotiations or screen shots/videos of the scammed transaction.