Safety guides for traders.
Plain advice for trading on Discord, Telegram, Instagram and in games: what to do, what not to do, and what to do if it already happened.
Five rules behind every guide.
If you only remember these, you avoid most scams.
Check the ID
Names and photos are copied. IDs are not. Look it up before you send anything.
Never go first
If neither side will, use a middleman you checked yourself, or walk away.
Type the address
Don't log in, scan or paste anything a stranger gave you.
Keep proof
Save full chats, payment proof and IDs with dates before they disappear.
Never share codes
Passwords, tokens, 2FA codes and seed phrases stay with you. Staff never ask.
Before you trade
Check who you are dealing with and set the deal up safely.
How to check a trader before a deal
Look up the ID, read the record and vouches, and make sure the account you checked is the one messaging you.
Read the guideSafe trading basics: middlemen, escrow and who goes first
Agree terms in writing, use a middleman you checked yourself, and never go first with a stranger.
Read the guide
Spot the scam
The tricks that come up again and again, and how to see them early.
Spot phishing and fake login links
Type addresses yourself, never scan or paste what a stranger gives you, and know what to do if you already clicked.
Read the guideFake vouches and vouch farming
Read vouches as evidence, not as proof: look for detail, real history and a record.
Read the guideGame server and marketplace item scams
Last-second item swaps, go-first tricks, fake stores and server purchase disputes, and how to protect a deal.
Read the guideCrypto payment safety
Check the address and network, never share your seed phrase, and treat every send as final.
Read the guideInstagram and Telegram trade scams
Handles and photos can be copied or changed. Check the account, save the profile link and don't pay first.
Read the guideImpersonation: fake staff, middlemen and big traders
Names and avatars can be copied. IDs and official channels cannot. Check both before you trust anyone.
Read the guide
If it already happened
Clear steps for the first hours, and how to report.
Account taken over? What to do
Secure your email first, then the account, then warn the people who could be targeted through it.
Read the guideHow to report a scam on TrustDB, and what evidence to keep
What to gather, how to file it on the web or in Discord, and what happens after you submit.
Read the guideWhat to do if you've been scammed
The first steps, who to tell (the platform, TrustDB, your bank, the police) and what to avoid.
Read the guide
Protect yourself
Settings and habits that close the common doors.
Quick answers
The short version of the three questions people ask most. The full list is in the FAQ.
- Keep everything: full uncropped chats with dates, payment proof with a transaction ID or hash, and proof of what was agreed.
- Report it with the target's Discord ID, Telegram or Instagram @username, server ID or wallet address.
- If a link or file looked like phishing, don't open it again and report it as phishing or account theft.
- Never send anyone passwords, tokens or 2FA codes. Staff never ask for them, or for payment. Anyone who does is not TrustDB.
TrustDB isn't a party to your deals. We don't hold funds, act as a middleman or get refunds for you.
More detail: what to do if you've been scammed, and all safety guides.
- Get their ID, not just the username. Usernames change, IDs don't. On Discord, turn on Developer Mode and copy their user ID. For Telegram or Instagram use the @username, and for crypto use the wallet address.
- Run it in the lookup, which needs no account, or with /check in a server that has Trustified. A TrustID or case ID works too.
- Read the record, the risk level and any vouches, including the comments and the net score.
- No record doesn't mean safe. For bigger trades use a trusted middleman, screenshot the seller's TOS before you pay, and keep your chats and payment proof.
Step by step: how to check a trader before a deal.
A listing is a report plus a staff verdict. It isn't a legal finding or an accusation of a crime. Public records use these levels:
- Caution: reported and reviewed, but with partial proof. Trade only with a middleman.
- High risk: reported and reviewed. Do not trade.
- Severe risk: repeat, network or account-theft reports. Avoid.
Dismissed reports, disputes settled before a decision and reports found to be fabricated are not public. No record doesn't mean safe.
These guides are general safety information, not legal or financial advice. TrustDB isn't a party to your deals. We don't hold funds, act as a middleman or get refunds for you.
Check before you send anything.
A lookup takes a second and needs no account. If something already went wrong, report it so the next trader sees it.