The Steam Summer Sale is well under way and a phishing scheme is trying to make sure your wallet isn't the only thing feeling the pain.

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According to researchers at Malwarebytes, a scheme that first launched earlier in the year whereupon users were tricked into giving up their SSFN files to scammers has evolved to become more of an automated process.The SSFN file exists to keep you from needing to verify your machine each time you log in to your Steam account.When you log into your Steam account from an unrecognized source, a Steam Guard window will pop up asking for a verification code that Steam sends to the email address associated with the account. The scam uses a fake Steam page where users enter their username and password, at which point a fake Steam Guard window appears asking the user to upload the SSFN file from their computer.The new scheme presents a community page with items loaded up for trading. A message is first sent from a Steam account that has already been compromised by the attack. From there, users see the fake account, loaded with tantalizing Steam items that are also totally fabricated and don't actually exist. If the victim is sufficiently interested, they're taken to a fake log-in page. Instead of the old version of this grift, where the user was presented with a file path to follow to manually upload their SSFN file, victims are presented with a legitimate looking pop up asking them to download and install a Steam Guard file to their computers."Running the file is, as you might have guessed, a bad idea," says Malwarebytes analyst Christopher Boyd. Installing the file immediately contacts a site with a .ru domain. From there, it locates your Steam folder and extracts the SSFN file. From there, the scammer has essentially taken control of the account and can do with it whatever unholy things they desire.Steam users who fall victim to this new form of the SSFN phishing scheme will find themselves in the same situation as the older version. "The end result is still the same," says Boyd, "one lost Steam account and a trip to the support desk."If your account has been compromised, contact Steam's support team immediately.

Seth Macy is a freelance writer who likes taking photos. Follow him on Twitter @sethmacy , and MyIGN at sethgmacy