Skins are valuable, so scammers follow them like skuas follow a penguin colony. Here are the five we see most and how to stay safe.
1. Fake Steam login pages
A link that looks like Steam asks you to log in “to verify” a trade. Real stores never need your Steam login. PenguinSkins only needs your trade URL.
2. API key theft
Scammers trick you into creating a Steam Web API key, then cancel your real trades and send fake copies. Check steamcommunity.com/dev/apikey: if there is a key you did not create, revoke it.
3. Impersonators
Someone adds you on Steam pretending to be support. Our station never messages first and never asks for codes or passwords.
4. “Check my item” trades
You are asked to send an item “to check its float”. Floats are public. Nobody needs your item to check one.
5. Too-good prices
A Dragon Lore for a tenth of its price is bait. Compare with real listings, ours included, before you trust a deal.
- Turn on Steam Guard Mobile Authenticator.
- Read every trade confirmation before you accept it.
- Bookmark the stores you trust and type the address yourself.
