Safety Tips
Most scams on classified platforms follow predictable patterns. Learn to spot them in 30 seconds and you'll be safer than 99% of buyers and sellers.
⚠️ Golden rule: Never pay in advance. Never share an OTP. Verify the product in person before money changes hands.
The 10 rules of safe trading
- Meet in person whenever possible. Public place — a mall, a coffee shop, or the seller's shop. Avoid isolated locations.
- Inspect before paying. Test the product, check the serial number, compare with the original photos.
- Never share OTPs. No genuine buyer, seller, courier, or bank will ever ask for your OTP. Anyone who does is a scammer.
- Don't pay advance or booking amounts to unknown people. A small "token" is the most common advance-fraud pattern.
- Beware of UPI requests. A "request money" UPI notification is not a payment — approving it sends money from your account.
- Keep conversations on TradeJodo chat. Our system scans for phone numbers and OTP requests automatically. Once you move to WhatsApp, you lose that protection.
- Check the seller's trust score. New accounts with no history and no reviews deserve extra caution.
- Verify vehicle documents. For cars and bikes, check RC, insurance, PUC, and service history — and confirm the seller's name matches the RC.
- Take a friend to high-value meetups. Anything above ₹25,000 is worth the second pair of eyes.
- Trust your gut. If the price is unrealistically low, if the seller is rushing you, or if anything feels off — walk away.
Red flags — walk away immediately if…
- The seller insists on payment before you see the product
- Someone asks for your UPI PIN, OTP, CVV, or net-banking password
- The price is 50%+ below market and the seller has "many other buyers waiting"
- You're asked to move to WhatsApp, Telegram, or a foreign messaging app
- The seller's "brother/friend/manager" handles payment instead of the account owner
- You receive a link that asks you to "verify" your bank account to receive payment
What to do if you've been scammed
- Report the user on TradeJodo. Use the report button on the chat or listing. Our team reviews every report.
- Call your bank immediately if money left your account. Ask for a chargeback or dispute. Time matters — under 24 hours is best.
- Report to cybercrime.gov.in — the Government of India's official portal. It's free and takes 10 minutes.
- File a police complaint at your local station. Carry screenshots, transaction IDs, and the seller's details.
- Email [email protected] with the user's ID and any evidence. We'll suspend the account while we investigate.
Our commitment. We scan every chat message for phone numbers, OTP requests, and known scam patterns. If we flag something in your conversation, take it seriously — we're usually right.