Trading skins for Counter-Strike 2 can be a profitable venture, but traders must remain vigilant so as not to fall victim to fraudsters. The most dangerous type of fraud is API fraud. The CS.MONEY blog explains what this is, how scammers use it to steal skins from inventory, and what you can do to protect yourself.

By the way, CS.MONEY provides convenient and safe trading. Fast deals, great prices and no scams!

What is an API?

APIs, simply put, are interfaces that allow programs to communicate with each other. Without getting too technical, the main thing you need to know is that each Steam account can issue its own API key. Third party services may use these keys to access inventory and merchandise. The good news: by default, accounts don’t have this key. The bad news: if fraudsters gain access to your account for even a few minutes, they can generate these keys, gain access to your inventory, send fake trading offers, and perform other malicious actions.

How Does API Fraud Work?

API fraud operates in three stages, and it is important to remember that this fraud is not limited to CS.MONEY. If fraudsters gain access to your keys, they may use various methods to steal skins. Here’s how API fraud works:

1. Get access to your account or API key.
2. Wait for the trade and replace it with a fake one.
3. Cover their tracks.

Let’s break down each step.

Step 1: Fraudsters typically gain account access through phishing sites, often by using fake Steam login windows. These phishing sites imitate real sites, making them easy to confuse. When you try to log in, the scammer receives a Steam Guard code, logs into your account, and creates an API key. This is the first step.

Step 2: Trade and substitution. Fraudsters are sneaky and only track high value trades. When a trade is made, the fraudster intercepts it and sends a fake offer. It will look like the original, but with one important difference: if accepted, you get nothing, and your skin goes into the cheater’s inventory. This is the second step.

Step 3: Hiding their tracks. After committing the fraud, the fraudster deletes the API key, changes the names of the accounts involved in the trade to unreadable or hidden symbols, and disappears with the stolen goods. This is the third and final step.

How to Protect Yourself from API Fraud

Start with the golden rule: Don’t rush and stay calm. Verify each trade offer carefully, accepting it only if you are sure it is correct. Rushing can lead to mistakes, which is what scammers rely on. In addition to the basic steps, here are more specific steps you can take:

• Check your API key now. You can find it here: If you didn’t create a key and there is an existing key, immediately revoke the key and start changing your password.
• Be careful about the sites you visit. Phishing sites often use similar URLs. Double-check the address of the site you are visiting. To be extra safe, bookmark cs.money and always open the site from there.
• Check trade offers. When using Trade, check the bot profile. All of our bots are level 20 or higher on Steam, have complete profiles, and haven’t been online for over a year. If something goes wrong, stop and contact CS.MONEY support. When trading on the Market, pay attention to the buyer’s SteamID and registration date. If you have any doubts, contact us on support chat and request a direct link to the buyer’s profile for safer transactions.

API fraud, like other forms of fraud, relies on carelessness or carelessness. Don’t rush to complete a trade and always double check who you are sending skins to.

Conclusion: how to avoid API cheaters

API fraud is stealthy and therefore very dangerous. Always double-check trading offers, trade only on trusted sites, and monitor your API keys regularly. If you have any doubts, contact our support team to confirm the security of the transaction. Trading skins can be safe, profitable, and fun—as long as you take the right precautions.

Four Key Safety Rules

• Fake bots cannot copy Steam levels, groups, etc. The LVL is above 20, all in our official Steam Group.
• Don’t use any phone apps that use Steam cards, browser extensions, cheats, etc.
• Do not enter sites whose links unknown people send you on Steam.
• To access our site type the address cs.money with your hand on the browser bar. It’s that easy.

Good luck and be careful out there!