Steam Surges to Top of Most Spoofed Brands List in Q1

Steam was the most phished brand in the first quarter of 2025, marking a first for the gaming community, according to new data from Guardio.

The security vendor’s analysis of customer emails and texts found Steam was the most spoofed brand “by a significant margin,” beating usual suspects Microsoft and Meta into second and third place respectively.

“Scammers have been targeting the massive gaming community by impersonating Steam to warn users about supposed account issues, like payment failures or suspicious login attempts. These fake messages are designed to trick victims into entering their login credentials on counterfeit websites, which then steal their account information,” it warned.

“Some phishing attempts will also claim you’ve won a Steam gift card or a special promotion, prompting you to click on fraudulent links to claim your prize.”

Read more on phishing: Phishing Attacks Double in 2024

Another first in Q1 2025 was the appearance of US toll road operators in the top 10.

Three separate brands made it onto the list: 

• EZDrive Massachusetts
• E-ZPass, which operates toll roads across 20 states
• SunPass, which operates in Florida

Guardio claimed to have detected a 604% increase in toll fee scam texts since the start of the year, with the week beginning March 2 recording a 98% jump from the previous week.

“Scammers have been sending out text messages claiming you have an unpaid toll fee, directing victims to fake websites designed to steal sensitive information,” it said.

“These scams are particularly dangerous as they exploit the urgency of unpaid tolls, tricking victims into entering payment details on fraudulent sites without thinking twice. Always verify toll notices through official channels, and never click on suspicious links.”

Rounding out the top 10 in the first three months of the year were Roblox, USPS, Netflix and WeTransfer.

Guardio also warned of a surge in phishing messages impersonating the IRS and other tax services, as well as retailers like Joann and Forever 21 which had previously announced store closures. The scams tried to piggyback on the news by claiming the brands were running “closing down” sales with deep discounts to be had.

Image credit: Rokas Tenys / Shutterstock.com