Steam account hacked? Here’s your step-by-step account recovery guide
A step-by-step guide to recovering a hacked Steam account, plus tips to avoid a stolen Steam account.
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There’s no getting around it. Steam is a PC gamer’s paradise. Launched in 2003 (available in India with local pricing since December 2016), the free cloud-based platform doubles as a virtual library for your computer games as well as a marketplace to purchase games.1
As of March 2021, Steam had 25 million users globally (.4% of those in India)— it also had around 29,000 security and recovery requests a day.2
Hijackings can come in many forms. On occasion, users have logged into their account to discover it's been overtaken by a hacker. Sometimes weak passwords opened the door to cybercriminals. Indian Gamers have had their fair share of Steam hackings to deal with, led by clicking on dodgy links.
No matter the reason for a Steam hack, the solution always entails steps to recover an account. Here, we’ve outlined how to do just that, including how to contact Steam Support and a few best practices to avoid getting your Steam account stolen.
1. Act fast and run an antivirus program
This first indication that your Steam account might be hacked? That would be an email notification from Steam noting your login is being used on another device. Granted, you may indeed be the one logging in on another device.
If it's not you, remember the longer you let these notifications go, the more these hackers would have access to your personal information, including payment methods. Once you receive a notification of unknown logging into your account, use an antivirus program, ideally Norton Security, to scan your computer for dangers such as malicious code, viruses, keyloggers, spyware, and act on them accordingly.
2. Change your Steam password
Assuming you’re able to access your account, the next step is to change your Steam password right away. After all, if someone has hacked into your account, they know your current one.
How to change your password on Steam
1. Log in to Steam through your browser and select the drop-down arrow next to your username. Click “Account Details.”
2. Scroll down to “Account security” and click “Change my password.”
3. Click the option that allows you to verify your account. Depending on your Steam Guard settings, this will be through a verification code sent to your email or sent to your smartphone's Steam Mobile app.
4. Retrieve the code from your email.
Input the code and then click continue.
5. Finally, choose a hack-proof password and enter it twice. Click “Change Password.”
For safe measure, Steam also suggests changing the password associated with your email address.
3. Contact Steam Support to recover your account
If you’re locked out of your Steam account entirely and unable to change your password, it’s time to call in the pros. Below, we’ve outlined steps for how to contact Steam Support to verify and recover your account.
How to contact Steam support
1. Open your browser, go to the Steam login page, and click “Forgot your password?”
2. Select “My Steam Account was stolen, and I need help recovering it.”
3. At the bottom of the page, select “Change my password.”
4. Input the email or phone number associated with your account, complete the reCAPTCHA, and click “Search.”
5. At this point, Steam Support should indicate whether it has found an account associated with your contact information. If this is not the case, it’ll prompt you to search with your Steam account name instead. Click “Search with my account name.”
6. Input your account name, complete the reCAPTCHA, then click “Search.”
7. If Steam Support is also unable to find an account name that matches your search, it’ll prompt you once more to “Try searching for an email address or different account name.” Input your information again, complete the reCAPTCHA, then click “Search.”
8. If this attempt fails, Steam Support will finally provide you with the option to create a support ticket. Select “you can click here to contact Steam Support.”
9. Fill out the form, complete the reCAPTCHA, then click “Send.”
10. Steam Support will then send a verification code to the email you provided on the support ticket.
Input the code and click “Send.”
Steam Support should then confirm your request has been submitted and provide a reference code.
A link to the support request will also be sent to your email
Know that it can take anywhere from a few hours to a day to receive a response from Steam Support
For transparency, Steam logs its volume of support requests publicly on its Steam Support Stats page.
Once Steam Support gets in touch with you, they might also request the following information to verify your account:
- Proof of ownership (net banking information, local debit cards, retail activation keys, Steam Wallet codes) 5
- Steam Account login names
- Email addresses linked to the account
10 tips to avoid getting your Steam account hacked
Merely being aware of scam types and also red flags indicating your Steam account might be under hijack can go a long way in safeguarding your account and private information. Some of those red flags include random requests for login and password information, unsolicited messages from Steam Support(unless received from support.steampowered.com domain), and mysterious downloads with malicious programs.
Besides, consider the following best practices to keep your Steam account secure.
- Never share your password with anyone, and know Steam Support will never ask for it.
- Recognize that all legitimate Steam Support members have a “Valve Employee” badge on their account.
- Only use official Steam websites and verify them by the closed padlock next in the address bar, indicating the SSL certificate is secure.
- Enable Steam Guard two-factor authentication.
- Be wary of Steam Friend requests from someone you don’t know.
- Verify your contact email with Steam.
- Select a unique and robust password.
- Regularly scan your computer with antivirus software.
- Avoid accessing your Steam account on public Wi-Fi. 6
- Always logout of your Steam account on shared devices.
According to National Cyber Security, India faces around 375 cyberattacks every day as of 2020.7 Along with other users, gamers are also being hijacked frequently. Between climbing leaderboards and navigating challenging video game levels, they have plenty of challenges as it is. Dealing with hacking attempts shouldn't be one of them.
Exercising these video game security tips can help alleviate those stressors. You can also install our Norton Antivirus Software to help eliminate any malicious files that hackers might have infected your computer to breach your gaming accounts and other important financial information.8 In the event your Steam account is compromised, knowing how to recover it —and how to recover it fast — can get you back to your gameplay hopefully in no time. Game on!
2 https://store.steampowered.com/stats/support
4 https://us.norton.com/internetsecurity-privacy-risks-of-public-wi-fi.html
5 https://www.thehindu.com/business/india-sees-375-cyberattacks-everyday/article33110725.ece
Editorial note: Our articles provide educational information for you. Our offerings may not cover or protect against every type of crime, fraud, or threat we write about. Our goal is to increase awareness about Cyber Safety. Please review complete Terms during enrollment or setup. Remember that no one can prevent all identity theft or cybercrime, and that LifeLock does not monitor all transactions at all businesses. The Norton and LifeLock brands are part of Gen Digital Inc.
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