Reclaiming a Hijacked Steam Account

If your Steam account has been hijacked, the possible cause of the hijacking should be determined first in order to take effective action against the hijacker.

Common scenarios for hijacking include:

• A key-logger program was used to record the Steam account password (If you have recently downloaded and installed any programs from a gaming forum site or over mIRC, this is the most likely cause)
• Login information was given to another user (If you have given your login information to another user, this is the most likely cause)
• Another user guessed the Steam account password (If you have not logged into your account recently and find that you are locked out, this is the most likely cause)
• The hijacker observed the password being entered at a cyber café, tournament, or LAN game, or the account was not properly logged out when another user began using a public or shared computer (Public computers may also be compromised by key-loggers – it is recommended that you avoid logging into your Steam account from public computers if possible)

Please follow the steps below to submit a case to Steam Support if the login information was given to another user, another user may have guessed your password, or your login information was observed.

If it is possible a key-logger program was used to obtain your login information, you should download the latest virus and spyware definitions for your virus and spyware scanners and run a scan before taking any further action – if another user is monitoring your activities it is very important that they do not receive any further information.

Once you have removed any key-loggers or other malicious software from your machine, please follow the steps below for submitting a case to Steam Support.

Submit a Case to Steam Support

When contacting Steam Support, please provide the following brief information:

1. What is your Steam account username?
2. What was the last contact e-mail address you used on the account?
3. Verify your proof of purchase for games on the account:
   • If you registered software purchased at a retail location, please include a digital photo or scan of the CD Key with your Steam account username written on the quick reference card or CD Key sticker below the code in permanent ink
   • If you purchased software through Steam with a credit card, please confirm the card type (Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express), full name, expiration date, and last four digits of the card used with the order(s)
   • If you purchased software through Steam through PayPal, please provide the PayPal account holder billing information (name and address) and the PayPal PayerID
4. When do you believe your account was hijacked?
5. How do you believe your account was hijacked?

If you are unable to verify your ownership of the account online, you may have to mail in your physical CD Key as evidence of ownership.

Note: In the event that a hijacked Steam account is banned by the Valve Anti-Cheat System, we will not be able to reverse the ban.

Please choose a strong password and safeguard your account login information to avoid being hijacked.

Prevent Future Hijackings

To learn more about protecting your Steam account, please see the Account Security Recommendations article.