3 Ways to Launder Money with Steam
Added 2025-01-16 23:00:05 +0000 UTCWelcome to 2025! Here's a Patreon exclusive, a look at a fun side-story I encountered during my trek through the underbelly of Valve.
Money Laundering with Steam items. There are 3 stories I found, each with unique characteristics and I think it's a fascinating look at the criminal behavior that pops up with e-economies.
It's also one that should eventually be regulated, but I'll spare you the soapbox , I stood on it pretty long with the 3-parter anyways. 😅
As a side-note let me know what you think of this style of video where I can explore topics otherwise to be left on the cutting room floor! I think it's a fun idea, hope to continue it.
Comments
This was pure genius. I loved how you zoomed in on Tate with the scammers 😂😂😂. Your videos are so educational.
AnbuFile
2025-03-02 22:16:33 +0000 UTCThe amount of names on the end credits and how fast it goes by makes me feel like Coffee more than doubled his Patreon subs, lol.
Biospark
2025-01-28 08:45:44 +0000 UTCI just commented about that too! The new font and order are much easier! I still have to watch it at 1/4 speed though.
Gretchen Martin
2025-01-25 02:20:08 +0000 UTCI'm all for this content! I like being in the loop about scammers. Also, it's the first time I have been able to find my name in "Supported By"
Gretchen Martin
2025-01-25 02:17:57 +0000 UTCThis is the video that pushed me over the edge to contributing. This is almost unfathomable: $2,000,000 to $3,000,000 from a freaking video game! And here I once thought wasting $10 in quarters on Ms. Pacman was big! (Though, things have changed with the value of the dollar since 1997 when I was 10).
Nicholas Rednour
2025-01-22 20:27:08 +0000 UTCCsfloat tracks where skins go but it doesn’t track ALL like if peoples inventory are private
xtoxicwizzy
2025-01-19 22:46:38 +0000 UTCI appreciate exclusive content but honestly I support you because I want this kind of content to get out to more people, you're doing important work that needs to be seen by more people.
Christophe
2025-01-19 17:18:09 +0000 UTCI really like the style of the video, and exploration of topics. I can't get enough of your content, and this is very interesting. Thank you again for fighting the fight.
Ezzue
2025-01-19 00:27:51 +0000 UTCLmao love the fast cut to a clip of Andrew Tate wielding nunchucks when you mentioned scammers
Jonathan
2025-01-18 21:02:22 +0000 UTCI appreciate the video, but I still think this should be out on the main channel
Jessica Jeffery
2025-01-18 20:47:51 +0000 UTCThank you for the tutorial <3
N B
2025-01-18 18:00:50 +0000 UTCThank you for always providing amazing work and information making it digestible for the normal unaware viewer. Keep inspiring bro!!!
michael leonor
2025-01-18 16:37:59 +0000 UTCsame!
martin man
2025-01-18 14:26:26 +0000 UTCCoffee: thank you, Thank You, THANK YOU for the new outro! I finally found my name in the patron list in an alphabetized, easy to read format that I couldn't decipher when it was playing on the old futuristic building background! So happy, even though it's just a small thing. <3
Leslie Harris
2025-01-18 03:56:24 +0000 UTCLove this exclusive content!
Sadie Pittman
2025-01-17 22:08:04 +0000 UTCThat sounds like what a money-laundering Valve employee would say.
D
2025-01-17 22:01:37 +0000 UTCThis is probably the final nail in the coffin. If this actually starts to become an issue for courts, Valve will have to do something about CS item sales on third-party sites.
Dain A.
2025-01-17 21:57:27 +0000 UTCFantastic as usual! Brilliant work Stephen!!
duresh08
2025-01-17 20:32:07 +0000 UTCI love that you have found such a fruitful and fascinating niche in this crazy world, and we all get to benefit from your investigative and reporting skills. Thanks so much!
G W
2025-01-17 18:28:43 +0000 UTCgenerally keep pushing this is insane
Angel Barranco
2025-01-17 13:55:46 +0000 UTCHiding 2-3 million in CS skins in beyond insane
Bruno Yorda
2025-01-17 13:40:58 +0000 UTCLove this style of video.
Angel Barranco
2025-01-17 12:53:39 +0000 UTCGreat video !
Hamza H
2025-01-17 12:53:16 +0000 UTC5:09 solid editing even on patreon exclusives
StreetsAhead
2025-01-17 11:36:57 +0000 UTCThis should be on Youtube!
Andrii Yakovenko
2025-01-17 11:30:24 +0000 UTCThank you for the video! But maybe still upload it to Youtube later? It's way too interesting and informative to hide on patreon.
Ella
2025-01-17 10:49:38 +0000 UTCIt's not about the gaming industry being particularly shitty. Amazon has the same problem with gift cards, so does the Playstore, and literally every other similar virtual money system. It's a delicate balance between adding invasive and time consuming steps to legitimate users while harming the abusers very little. I had to stop using Amazon gift cards because, due to my job, I send packages to my grandma's house, and their anti-laundering system has problems with me not living in the house I send them to if I pay with gift cards.
Gna Gnoc
2025-01-17 09:59:51 +0000 UTCWhat you're missing here is that the entry point is not Steam. You can't use crypto crap on the Steam Marketplace, and it's almost always convenient to buy stuff for third party websites anyway, Valve has a whole lot of trade restrictions and confirmations and cooldowns if you go directly trhough them in the marketplace. "Mostly" is there only because I can't claim that 100% of it happens through third party websites, but if it isn't 100% then is still definitely more than 75. Not even people with legit interests rely on Steam Trades and the Marketplace too much these days.
Gna Gnoc
2025-01-17 09:56:22 +0000 UTCLOL. Tell me you know nothing what you're talking about without telling me you don't know what you're talking about. There are hundred of websites that connect to Steam's APIs to trade, cash, and do all sorts of things with Steam inventories, it's not like there's just a few "Mafia.Inc Laundromat Service" websites. It's a whole ecosystem. Next you're telling me that Blizzard secretly controls all people selling gold and accounts for WOW and WOTC secretly employs every single Magic card reseller out there.... Oh, BTW, Steam Cards, Amazon gift codes, Playstore cards... Shark card ALL virtual economies have loopholes in them that allow for money laundering, stomping down on that is a problem that all big websites struggle with.
Gna Gnoc
2025-01-17 09:51:53 +0000 UTCExcellent work, thanks Coffee! I’m the cofounder of a SaaS company for anti-money laundering systems. Would love to report on this to my audience of AML/KYC professionals if that’s ok?
Claus Christensen
2025-01-17 08:42:55 +0000 UTCGreat video, amazing how digital assets can be used to hide wealth
AKCSL
2025-01-17 08:26:37 +0000 UTC@Jonathan Bastnagel I guess, I hadn’t thought of that.. 🫤
lulu Gregory
2025-01-17 06:54:16 +0000 UTC@aLtRD True, and I do that also, but if they are exclusive for patreons they don’t get released for general viewing..
lulu Gregory
2025-01-17 06:53:42 +0000 UTCAlright maybe next month! Thx 🙏
1peruvianguy
2025-01-17 05:33:19 +0000 UTCyeah, you should show at 9:11 (alphabetical order). not there
Rene Dupont
2025-01-17 05:06:14 +0000 UTCHow long does it take for your name to show up in the credits? Don’t think I saw mine hmm thanks great content as always :)
1peruvianguy
2025-01-17 04:30:39 +0000 UTCIf it will please the court, the transcript reads as follows: "Aiden bro, bro, bro, seriously I swear to god bro don't be a weirdo bro, you play CS bro? Show me your knives bro, OH MY GOD BRO bro my god bro!"
Ross Vincent
2025-01-17 04:09:32 +0000 UTCCool video, thanks for the content ☕️
Nadia Belsito
2025-01-17 03:07:34 +0000 UTCHappy New Year Coffezilla. Be careful in dealing with criminals.
Ali Fareed MC
2025-01-17 02:13:09 +0000 UTC"Mostly" is doing some heavy lifting there. Cashing out via Steam Decks (or by purchasing MTX from yourself) happens entirely through Steam.
D
2025-01-17 01:57:02 +0000 UTCOccam's razor suggests that these 'third parties' are likely Valve employees.
D
2025-01-17 01:43:34 +0000 UTCI found it hilarious that I got the email for this video only 6 min before the next email... from Steam. I wish I could share the screenshot.
Claire LaBarbera
2025-01-17 01:39:40 +0000 UTCI really like the idea of these videos. It feels like a middle ground between voidzilla and the main channel too for things that dont quite fit either. Maybe it could be a bit more chill too like a coffeezilla after hours? the suspenders could be down too to signify a more chill vid? lol
James Linderman
2025-01-17 01:11:32 +0000 UTCI do wonder is this one of the reasons scammers want steam cards when they are taking grandma's social security? Or is that another way for people to make money using steam?
judasdubois
2025-01-17 00:37:58 +0000 UTCYou're right that none of this is exclusive to valve, or even new (see UO gold/rares trading). However they are a very notable and well known name, and the true goal isn't to legislate valve but to get the whole gaming industry to stop being so shitty.
Michelle D'israeli
2025-01-17 00:27:26 +0000 UTCVirtual economies used to launder money is not news, as sensationalized as it is, it's common knowledge and mostly happens due to third party websites using Steam's marketplace, not directly through Steam itself.
Gna Gnoc
2025-01-17 00:20:58 +0000 UTCThree ways of laundering money... With third party websited thad don't do their due diligence, using Steam's virtual economy as a tool. Vavle could do more to block this crap, but you make it sound as if it was Valve themselves running the whole thing.
Gna Gnoc
2025-01-17 00:18:49 +0000 UTCSteam doesn't accept crypto, and CSGO skins are mostly bought and sold on third party websites. In all this exposé Valve is complicit only in having a virtual economy in their games. Something that has been abused in other games, and other physical assets before it was games, since forever.
Gna Gnoc
2025-01-17 00:16:36 +0000 UTCI want to say, I feel like exclusives might be more harmful if you really want people to know something, and restricting the info, even if the subscription fee is low, not everyone is gonna want to buy on top of their other subscriptions for what they want to see. Then again how are you going to earn rent if the video flops? Relying on a view count doesn’t sound like the best way to make money. Anyone want to school me on the points I’m missing?
Evan
2025-01-17 00:09:21 +0000 UTCinteresting video as always, to be fair though on the first part at least, csgo skins are suprisingly easy to track thanks to third party search engines like csfloat or csexchange. You can find a comprehensive inventory history for people who traded with non-private accounts, and you are unlikely to be able to cashout any skins from a private account unless it was to a knowing third party.
Topdogger-
2025-01-16 23:56:33 +0000 UTCCoffee, this is huge and please consider making this publicly available, or working with someone like People Make Games to allow a wider story to be put forth. Let’s face it, the establishment is fine with gambling and all that, but will take action to address money laundering. If we want legislation to come in or/and Valve to start taking responsibility, evidence of Valve’s complicity in money laundering is the best way.
Michelle D'israeli
2025-01-16 23:52:22 +0000 UTCAny extra Coffezilla video is a win in my book.
Ada MC
2025-01-16 23:48:29 +0000 UTCI feel like this is a major story that needs millions of views...
Arjun Yogan
2025-01-16 23:44:00 +0000 UTCI assume he stopped because the unlisted videos probably got leaked early
Jonathan Bastnagel
2025-01-16 23:40:20 +0000 UTCMore tutorials please.
Abdelkader Boudih
2025-01-16 23:33:40 +0000 UTCLove your stuff, though there is 2 ways. 1: free trade, like csgo skins and crypto that can't be frozen, good for criminals unfortunately, but also Canadian truck drivers who demonstrate and wiki leaks... 2: 100% controlled money, the government prints and can seize from who ever they see fits... Like criminals and oppositions... I really hope you don't advocate for a controlled moneytrary system, since that kinda is bad for all that dont have much trust in the government :) or digital assets traders
NudeCoder
2025-01-16 23:27:09 +0000 UTCDamn I was getting worried, I had no clue what to do with all this fent money smh
Dylan Mcelyea
2025-01-16 23:24:37 +0000 UTCI’m somewhat with you. I pay to support on Patreon but just watch the videos on YouTube, but I honestly don’t mind just waiting for the video to be released to the public to watch it.
aLtRD
2025-01-16 23:19:34 +0000 UTCPretty much love any of your stories and nothing should be left on the cutting room floor! Please though, if it’s not too much of a pain, could you still load the Patreon exclusives to YouTube as you used to do? I find things so much easier to watch there as I can view through my tv. Keep up the great work, you are definitely one of life’s good guys!
lulu Gregory
2025-01-16 23:13:17 +0000 UTC
