Steam account hacked? Secure it before you recover it

An unfamiliar Steam sign-in, a changed contact email, or a trade you did not make can mean someone else has access to your account. A password change alone may not be enough: if the attacker still controls your email or a device that can sign in, they may be able to get back in.

The safe route depends on whether you can still sign in. If you are locked out, Steam's stolen-account instructions say to scan the computer and secure the email address linked to Steam before resetting your Steam password. If you can still access the account, review its authorised devices, sign them out if anything looks wrong, then change the password and check Steam Guard.

Use Steam's Help site directly at help.steampowered.com . Do not follow a recovery link from a message or give a supposed support agent your password or authenticator code.

Start with the situation you have

• You can still sign in, but a device or activity looks unfamiliar: secure the linked email first if you suspect it is compromised, then review Steam's authorised devices and account activity.
• You cannot sign in, or someone changed the password, email address or phone number: secure your computer and email, then use Steam's official stolen-account recovery route.
• You received a trade or Market confirmation you did not create: do not approve it. Steam's Trade and Market Confirmations guide says to cancel an unexpected confirmation and treat it as a sign that the account or computer may be compromised.
• You noticed a charge you do not recognise: check Steam's purchase history and compare it with your bank or payment-provider record. A charge alone does not prove that the Steam account was hijacked.

A completed trade made under false pretences is not always the same as an account takeover. Steam distinguishes a hijack from a scam trade, and its item policy says Support does not restore items that have left an account. Secure the account either way, but do not assume a support request will reverse a completed transaction.

If you are locked out, secure the device and email first

1. Check the computer you used for Steam

Steam recommends scanning your computer before you reset the account password. Malware can steal a password or use an already authorised Steam session.

On Windows, open Windows Security → Virus & threat protection → Scan options → Full scan. Microsoft's Windows Security guidance says a full scan checks every file and program on the device. If malware persists or Microsoft Defender recommends it, Microsoft Defender Antivirus (offline scan) restarts the PC and scans outside the normal Windows session. Save open work first.

If you think a harmful program ran, or you cannot trust the computer, use a different, trusted device to read Steam's recovery instructions and secure your email. A clean scan is useful, but it cannot prove that no password or session was already copied. Follow your security software's remediation steps; do not install a cleaner suggested by a pop-up, chat message or search ad.

2. Secure the email address attached to Steam

Steam notes that hijackers often target the associated email account. From a device you trust:

• Change the email password to a new one that you do not use for Steam or any other service.
• Turn on the email provider's two-step sign-in protection if available.
• Review recent sign-ins, recovery details and active sessions. Remove access you do not recognise using the provider's own controls.

If you cannot secure or access that mailbox, use the email provider's official recovery process too. Steam's recovery messages and security notices may go there.

3. Recover through Steam Support

Open Steam Support's stolen-account page by typing the address or navigating from the Steam client. Choose Help, I can't sign in and the stolen-account option, then follow the self-recovery steps. If that process cannot return the account, contact Steam Support through the Help site.

Steam says you can ask Support to recover the account even if someone changed its password, email address and phone number. It may ask for proof that the account is yours, possible account login names, or email addresses you previously used. When the recovery form asks for an email address to locate the account, enter the address the form requests; Steam says an earlier address can help locate an account after its contact email was changed.

Only provide account-recovery information through the official Steam Help site. Steam says its support representatives will not ask you for your password or Steam Guard code, and Steam staff do not handle account recovery through Discord or another chat service.

If you can still sign in, remove unfamiliar access

First secure the linked email and the device you will use. Then open Steam's Authorized Devices page and review the list. Steam's account-security instructions say to use Sign out everywhere if anything looks unfamiliar. This ends existing Steam sessions, so be ready to sign in again from a trusted device.

Change your Steam password to a strong, unique one. Confirm that the account's contact email and phone number are yours, and review the Steam Guard setting. The Steam Guard Mobile Authenticator adds a second sign-in check through the Steam app; use it if it fits your setup. Never approve a sign-in you did not start or share a code with someone who contacts you.

If you are unsure whether your email is secure, or you suspect the computer has malware, do not keep changing passwords on that device. Return to the locked-out steps and finish securing those recovery routes first.

Check what happened after access is restored

Look through Steam's Authorized Devices, contact details, Steam Guard settings, purchase history, trade history and Market activity. Remove unfamiliar access and report suspicious activity through Steam Support. If the compromised account sent messages to friends, warn them through a separate trusted channel not to follow recent links or trade requests from it.

For an unexpected Steam trade or Market confirmation, cancel it rather than approving it. Steam says unapproved confirmations do not complete the trade or listing. If items have already left the account, read the Steam Item Restoration Policy before deciding what to expect; Steam states that it does not restore items that have left an account.

For an unfamiliar payment, compare Steam's purchase history with the exact charge on your statement. Contact Steam Support through the Help site if it is still unexplained, and contact your payment provider about an unauthorised transaction. Steam warns that Support will not ask for your full card number, expiry date or security code.

Keep the recovery route under your control

A Steam password reset is only one part of recovery. Secure the device that can sign in, protect the email address that can reset the password, remove sessions you do not recognise, and review recent trades and purchases. Steam's account-security recommendations and stolen-account recovery guide are the authoritative routes if the account changes again.

Sources

• Steam Support: What do I do if my Steam Account is stolen?
• Steam Support: Recovering a Stolen or Hijacked Steam Account
• Steam Support: Account Security Recommendations
• Steam Support: Steam Guard Mobile Authenticator
• Steam Support: Trade and Market Confirmations
• Steam Support: Steam Item Restoration Policy
• Steam Support: Unrecognized Charges
• Microsoft Support: Virus and Threat Protection in the Windows Security App

The steps above follow Steam Support and Microsoft guidance. Windows labels can differ slightly by security product or system configuration.