Fake payment screenshots
A screenshot is a picture, not a payment. Sellers check their own account every time.
How the scam works
A buyer taps I've paid and sends a screenshot that looks like a successful transfer. It shows the right amount, your name and a reference number. Then they push you to release quickly. But no money ever arrives, because the screenshot was edited or made with a fake app.
Why screenshots can't be trusted
Images are easy to change. So are forwarded SMS messages and "payment sent" emails, which can come from anyone. None of them prove that money reached your account.
The only proof that counts
Before releasing, open your own bank or wallet app yourself, not a link someone sent you, and check:
- the payment is there and is not pending
- the amount matches the trade exactly
- the payment arrived recently and matches this trade
If you can't see it in your own account, it hasn't arrived yet.
When you're being rushed
Pressure is part of the scam. A buyer might say they're in a hurry, threaten a bad review, or claim their bank says the money left. Stay calm. You don't have to release until you've confirmed the payment, and a release can't be undone.
If the money doesn't show up
Don't release. Ask in the trade chat. If it still hasn't arrived, you can open a dispute 45 minutes after the trade was marked paid, and the crypto stays in escrow while support looks into it.