• Not paying attention to early red flags can actually cost you your Steam account.
• Windows Steam users are now targeted by attackers through a new phishing scheme.
• It all starts with a message on Discord offering you free Nitro, which is very tempting.
• In reality, this is just an elaborate plan to relieve you of your Steam account credentials.

​We wanted to let you know about this situation because it’s affecting a lot of Windows users and you too can become a victim if you misread all the warning signs.

Basically, a new Steam phishing promoted via Discord messages promises a free Nitro subscription if a user links their Steam account, which the hackers then use to steal game items or promote other scams.

This ingenious phishing scam is being conducted by many Discord accounts controlled by the threat actors or as automated bots that send other users links to what is supposedly a guide on how to receive Discord Nitro for free.

So, if you come across this scenario now, you will know that it’s better to just ignore it and be about your way.

This phishing scheme can cost you your Steam account

The message is not a very elaborate one, but simple enough to catch one’s attention: See, here free nitro 1 month, just link your Steam account and enjoy.

And while this sounds like a promotional campaign, the links take victims to a phishing site that the attackers made look like a legitimate Discord page promoting the Nitro feature.

Nothing happens until someone actually clicks the Get Nitro button, at which point a fake Steam login form is displayed, which looks almost identical to the legitimate one. 

In reality, though, the pop-up is a new window opened right on the phishing page, so whatever Steam credentials are entered are sent directly to the hacker’s server and its bye-bye Steam account.

Here comes the really ingenious part. When attempting to login, victims are shown an error saying that the account name or password that you have entered is incorrect and prompts the user to log in again.

You got what just happened there? Indeed, this double-verification method ensures that no typing errors were made during the phishing process and that the stolen credentials are correct.

Windows, as an operating system, will do a pretty good job of alerting you when something fishy is going on.

But if you do believe these fake promotions and start clicking everywhere and providing account credentials, you’re just asking for trouble.

Discord Nitro is a paid membership plan on the popular VoIP and instant messaging platform, which comes with a set of highly sought-after account customization, content uploading, and server boost perks.

Nitro is so popular that we’ve seen malware strains distributed using the same bait and even ransomware gangs asking for Nitro gift codes in return for a working decryptor.

So, as these landing URLs get reported and blacklisted, actors register new ones and move their malicious operations to new infrastructure.

The important lesson to be learned here is that, when using Discord, users should be suspicious of any messages claiming to offer something for free if they click on an URL.

There is no such thing as free stuff offered outside the platforms themselves, so if Steam and Discord run a promotional campaign together, you would see it on either of the respective official apps/websites.

Have you also come across suspicious promotion messages on Discord? Let us know in the comments section below.

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