Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS: GO), developed by Valve, is an extremely popular multiplayer shooter game with millions of players around the world and an enormous following in esport.
Hackers and scammers frequently target CS: GO users in an attempt to take their skins and other in-game assets for themselves. Luckily, there are steps you can take to protect your account and stop this from happening to you.
Two-Factor Authentication
Two-factor authentication (2FA) adds another level of protection to your csgo accounts by requiring additional steps when signing in – like receiving an authentication code via text message on your phone or using physical tokens as additional factors – which makes it much harder for hackers to gain entry to your account even if they gain access to your password.
Checking accounts regularly for suspicious login activity is also key to keeping them secure. Navigating to “Account Activity,” “Last Account Sign-in Activity,” or “Your Devices,” and searching for unfamiliar devices will do. If any pop up, force a sign out from them as soon as possible before changing passwords accordingly.
Changing Your Password Regularly
Regularly switching up your password can help safeguard your Steam account against hackers. Furthermore, it’s wise not to share it or log in using public computers containing viruses and key loggers for an increased level of safety.
Strong passwords that combine letters and numbers are equally as essential, as is avoiding dictionary words when creating them and using both upper case and lower case characters for your passwords. Furthermore, adding special characters can only enhance its effectiveness!
Though many assume hackers are behind CSGO skin theft, most cases are actually committed by scammers or impersonators posing as Steam admin or support, also known as social engineering hacking. Scammers will send you messages requesting favors before trying to gain your information and login to your account – something which has happened many times over time and represents a very real risk.
Changing Your Email Address
Change your email address frequently to prevent scammers and hackers from accessing your Steam account, since phishing websites that mimic the login page could potentially use your personal data against you.
Utilizing a new email address makes contacting Steam Support easier if your account ever becomes compromised, and ensures that only those who have verified with the service can access it.
As much as scams are rampant in the CS:GO community, most hackers do not operate from within it – most hacking attacks occur through social engineering hacks or phishing attacks that use social engineering tactics like Nigerian prince emails or friend requests to deceive people into giving away personal or financial data or money to them. To stay safe and avoid falling for these schemes, it is wise to stay aware of any recent or existing schemes and remain cautious at all times.
Changing Your Mobile Phone Number
CS:GO is one of the oldest and most beloved video games ever. Due to its highly competitive market, which offers many expensive in-game items that players can own, CS:GO presents an ideal marketplace for scammers looking to steal items from unsuspecting victims.
Some scams involve sharking (targeting new or inexperienced traders for trading), or impersonation of Valve employees, Steam admins, community moderators, youtubers/streamers and known traders. Others attempt to trick you by asking you to download an executable file which actually contains malware or viruses.
SIM swapping is another popular hack, which allows hackers to hijack your phone number and use it to gain entry to your Steam account. Therefore, it is vitally important that your phone number remains updated on Steam; additionally, using an authenticator app instead of SMS could make all the difference in protecting yourself against being compromised and losing all that was on it.
