Scammers rely on social engineering and technical tricks to deceive buyers. By learning to spot their methods, you can protect your assets. Here are the most common gaming scams and how to spot them.
1. The Fake Middleman Scam
A buyer or seller suggests using an external "trusted middleman" (often a Discord admin or moderator) to hold the item. This middleman is usually an accomplice using a duplicated profile. Only use the marketplace's built-in escrow system.
2. Payment Redirection Scams
A seller asks you to pay them directly via PayPal, bank transfer, or crypto to "bypass platform fees" or secure a discount. Doing so removes your transaction from the escrow protection framework, leaving you with no refund path if they disappear.
3. Compromised Redirection Links
Scammers send links that mimic official Steam or Battle.net login pages. Always check the URL domain in your browser bar before typing credentials. If the domain is misspelled (e.g. steancommunity.com), it is a phishing site.