Safe deal checklist: how to avoid scams when buying or selling used items

The common scams

• Advance for booking: a seller asks for a token amount for an item you have not seen, often with a story about an army posting or a transfer.
• QR code trap: a "buyer" sends you a QR code or a payment request and says you must scan it to receive money. Scanning a QR or approving a request only sends money out of your account.
• OTP trap: anyone asking for an OTP, a PIN or to install a screen-sharing app is trying to take money from your account.
• Fake payment screenshot: a buyer shows a payment screenshot and asks you to release the item. Always check the credit in your own bank or UPI app.
• Courier or delivery trap: a buyer wants to pay extra and have a courier pick up your item, or asks for a delivery fee first.
• Fake cheque or overpayment: a buyer pays more than the price and asks you to return the balance.
• Link or app "to verify you": a link that claims to show a delivery status, or an app a stranger asks you to install, can be a remote-access tool or a copy of a real site.
• Small fee to start: someone asks for Rs 1 or a small "registration" or "verification" fee to confirm a booking or a job. Real buyers do not charge you to buy from you, and real employers do not charge you to hire you.
• Secrecy: "chat is slow here, move to another app" or "do not tell anyone about this" separates you from advice and from the platform record.

Calm replies you can copy

• The lines below are example wording written for this guide, not quotes from real cases. Keep your reply short and move the deal to a face-to-face meeting.
• Urgency or advance ("I am leaving town tonight, I will send an advance"): "No problem, we can do it when you come and see the item. I am free at 5 pm near the market."
• Army or official posting ("my men will collect it, pay the transport charge first"): "I only sell to people who can see the item. If someone can come, I am happy to meet." A real posting does not change how payment works: you never pay a stranger to complete your own sale.
• Wrong amount ("I sent too much, return the balance"): "I will check my own account first. If an extra amount really arrived, I will return it through the bank." If the payment is only a screenshot, nothing was sent.
• Move the chat or keep it secret: "I prefer to keep the chat here until we meet."
• A fee to confirm: "I do not pay fees. I am happy to continue after we meet."
• QR code, PIN, OTP, link or app: no reply is needed. Stop the chat, do not scan, enter or install anything, and report the user in the app.

Rules that protect you

• Never pay or take anything on trust before you have seen and tested the item.
• Never share an OTP, a PIN, a card number or a screen-sharing code with anyone, for any reason.
• Money should come to you only when you see it credited in your own app. You never need to scan or approve anything to receive money.
• Keep the chat inside the app as long as possible, and be careful when someone insists on moving to another app quickly.
• Do not click links sent by a stranger, and do not install apps they ask you to install.

Meeting safely

• Meet in a public place in daylight, such as a mall, a bank entrance or a busy shop. Bring a friend for expensive items.
• Let people test items in your presence. Do not allow a buyer to leave with an item before paying.
• Keep your home address private until a serious buyer is confirmed. For heavy items, have another person at home.

Paying safely

• Use UPI or cash for local deals. For large amounts, bank transfers at a branch are safer.
• Take a written receipt for vehicles and expensive items with the names, the date, the amount and the item details.
• Do the vehicle ownership transfer officially. A handshake deal leaves you responsible for challans and accidents.

A 10-second pause test

• Is someone rushing me? Stop and slow down.
• Are they asking for money, a PIN, an OTP or an app? Do not proceed.
• Do I know this person only through chat? Insist on meeting in person.
• Would I be comfortable if a friend read this chat? If not, ask yourself why.

If something goes wrong

• Stop the conversation, take screenshots, and do not send any more money.
• If you lost money through UPI or a card, call your bank immediately and ask it to block or hold the transaction. Then call the national cyber crime helpline 1930 (available 24x7); after the call, complete your complaint on cybercrime.gov.in within 24 hours using the acknowledgement number you receive by SMS, with screenshots, phone numbers and payment references.
• Report the listing or the user inside the app so that others are warned.

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Frequently asked questions

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