How to avoid P2P crypto scams: 12 rules

Most P2P losses come from a handful of repeated tricks. Follow these rules and you remove most of the risk.

Rules

Twelve rules

Trade only inside the platform's escrow. Never send crypto directly because someone asks.
Release crypto only after the money is in your own account, confirmed in your bank or wallet app. A screenshot is not proof.
Match names: the payer's name must equal the verified name on the trade. Refuse third-party payments.
Be careful with reversible methods. Cards and some wallet payments can be charged back long after release.
Refuse any request to talk on Telegram, WhatsApp or email. Keep chat inside the platform: it is your evidence.
Ignore urgency. "Release now or I will cancel" is pressure, not a reason.
Never share one-time codes, passwords, recovery phrases or remote-access links, even with someone claiming to be support.
Beware overpayment tricks: "I sent too much, send the difference back" is a classic.
Check the counterparty's history, account age and completion rate, and start small.
Bookmark the official site. Fake sites and fake apps copy real ones.
Keep records: screenshots of the order, the payment and the chat.
If the trade feels wrong, stop. Open a dispute rather than finishing it.

Fraud patterns

Fake payment receipt
A convincing screenshot of a transfer that never arrived. Always check your own account.
Reversed payment
The buyer pays by a reversible method, receives the crypto, then reverses the payment.
Third-party payer
Money arrives from someone else's account, often stolen or from another victim, and can be frozen later.
Fake support
Someone pretending to be platform support asks for codes or to move to another app.
Overpayment
The scammer "accidentally" overpays and asks you to refund the difference before the first payment fails.
Clone site
A look-alike website or app that collects your login and drains your account.

Recovery

1
Stop
Do not release any more crypto or send any more money.
2
Document
Save the order, the payment proof, the chat and any addresses or account numbers.
3
Contact the platform
Open or escalate a dispute immediately, with your evidence.
4
Contact your bank or wallet provider
Report the payment right away; speed matters for recalls and freezes.
5
Report it
File a report with your local police or cybercrime portal. Never pay anyone who offers to "recover" lost crypto for a fee.