My steam account hacked last night and I thought 15 years of games was gone.
I logged into Steam last night and my email was changed. My library was still there, but it wasn’t mine anymore. There were charges I didn’t make and I couldn’t get in.
For a second I thought 15 years of games — Skyrim mods I spent weeks sorting at the kitchen table, all my player guides, everything — was just gone. Same hands that turned the Pong dial in 1975 suddenly couldn’t even log into their own account.
I didn’t panic-click the link in the email they sent. I went straight to Steam Support and clicked “My account was stolen.”
Here’s exactly what I did, and what actually got it back.
What Happened
Someone got into my account, changed the email, and started buying games. I got the notification on my phone. My first thought was my whole library was sold off.
What I Did First (In This Order)
I went to my email and changed the password immediately. I had just changed it 2 days ago as part of my normal schedule, so I knew that account was clean.
I went to help.steampowered.com on my computer — not from any link in an email — and opened a ticket: “My account was stolen.”
I did NOT reply to any Discord messages or emails saying they could help me get it back. Those are almost always the hacker trying again.
What Got My Account Back in 6 Hours
Steam Support is going to ask you to prove you own the account. I was able to give them:
The exact dates and payment method for the last 10 games I purchased. I had all the PayPal receipts.
My own player guides I wrote on Steam. Every one of them points to my YouTube channel, 58 Year Old Spicy Gamer, with 67 videos. No hacker could fake that. That was the proof that I was me.
The original email the account was created on.
I think that last part is why it only took 6 hours. I didn’t just say “it’s mine” — I showed them a history only the owner would have.
They reversed the charges, put my correct email back on, and gave me the library back intact.
How I Locked It Down After My Steam Account Hacked
After I got it back, I did 3 things:
1. Changed to a completely different email account. Not just the password — the whole email. If they had my old one from a breach, they don’t have the new one.
2. Turned on Steam Guard Mobile Authenticator. I had email codes before. Now it’s on my phone app. I have to approve every login. If you only do one thing after reading this, do this one. Steam > Settings > Security > Steam Guard > Get the app.
3. I already had what most people don’t: Every one of my email accounts has a completely different password, and every one has 2-factor where a code is sent to my phone. I change them every 90 days. It’s a pain, but it’s why they couldn’t stay in.
What I Learned at 58
Your Steam account is worth more than your old consoles ever were. Mine has 15 years of purchases, saves, and guides in it. You can’t buy that back.
And as you get older and your channel and blog start to show up in Google like mine just did, you become a bigger target. People see a library and see dollar signs.
If you’re over 50 and still gaming like me, go check your Steam Guard today. It takes 2 minutes.
It’s the same lesson I wrote about in my last post — Same Hands, 50 Years Apart: From Pong to Skyrim — we’ve been holding controllers since 1975. We just have to learn how to protect them now too. https://58yearoldspicygamer.com/58-year-old-gamer-pong-to-horror/
If this happened to you, leave a comment how you got yours back. Might help the next guy.
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