Knowing the tricks makes them easy to spot. These are the ones we see most often.

Fake payment proof

A buyer sends a screenshot of a “completed” payment that never arrives. Protection: the seller confirms payment only when the money is actually in their account. With escrow, the escrow company confirms it.

Account recovery

A seller sells an account and then takes it back with the original email or phone. Protection: change every recovery path during the transfer and use escrow. See Protecting yourself against account recovery.

Changed payment details

Someone sends “new bank details” by email or chat, sometimes pretending to be the seller or our team. Protection: pay only to the details shown in the Deal Room, and ask in the Deal Room if anything changes.

Fake escrow

A scammer suggests an escrow website you have never heard of — which they control. Protection: use only the escrow option inside the Deal Room.

Phishing

Emails or messages that look like ours ask you to log in through a link, “verify your account” or pay a fee. Protection: type the address yourself or use your bookmark. We never ask for your password or codes.

Bait and switch

The asset delivered is not the one listed — a different domain, fewer followers, missing content. Protection: check everything during the inspection period and open a dispute if it is wrong.

Inflated numbers

Bought followers, faked analytics screenshots or one good month presented as normal. Protection: prefer verified numbers, ask for 12 months of data and look at engagement, not only follower counts.