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Spot the scam

Safety guide · Updated 28 Oct 2026

Game server and marketplace item scams

Item, account and server-purchase scams look different from game to game, but the pattern is the same: a deal that seems fair, then a trick at the moment of exchange.

Most are beaten by slowing down at that moment and by keeping proof.

Patterns to watch for

  • Last-second swap: the items or amounts in the trade window change right before you accept.
  • Go first to prove you are real: "send first and I will give it back" or "hold this for me".
  • Fake middleman or fake trade bot: a helper or site that exists only to collect your items.
  • Too good a price: and a seller who avoids the platform's protection.
  • Copied store or listing: the name and pictures of a real store, but no order ID or receipt.
  • Server perks by DM: someone claiming to be the owner or staff offering ranks, scripts or discounts outside the store.
  • Reversal after delivery: a buyer takes the goods, then reverses the payment.

Do and don't

The short version. Skim this first.

Do

  • Read the final trade window line by line before you accept, every time, and slow down if anything changes. Screenshot or record it.
  • Use the game's official trade or marketplace system when it has one, and read the game's rules on outside trades.
  • Buy server ranks, items and scripts through the server's official store. Keep the receipt, order ID and any store or Tebex order ID.
  • Check who is who. Get the server owner or staff user ID from an official place and look it up in the lookup.
  • Sellers: be careful with payment methods that can be reversed, and wait until the payment is final before you deliver.
  • Keep chats, receipts, item names and dates.
  • When you report, pick the right game and deal type so the next trader sees the context.

Don't

  • Don't accept a trade because the other side says the window is "just lagging" or "fine, trust me".
  • Don't send items first, lend them or "hold" them for someone.
  • Don't buy from a DM that claims to be server staff and offers a discount outside the store.
  • Don't pay outside the platform to "save fees" when the platform offers protection.
  • Don't run programs or scripts a trade partner gives you.
  • Don't casually trade accounts. Account sales often break a game's rules, and the original owner may be able to recover the account.

If it already happened (items or money lost)

  1. Don't send anything more, including a "fee" to release the items or get your money back.
  2. Save the evidence: chats, the trade window, receipts, order IDs, IDs and dates.
  3. Report it to the game or platform using its own report tool. Many games will not reverse a trade you agreed to, so don't count on it.
  4. Report it on TrustDB: Discord deal, marketplace non-delivery or game server dispute. Server nukes and staff abuse count when they are backed by logs.
  5. If you paid by card or a payment service, tell the provider quickly. What they can do depends on the method.

Where to go next

The right page on TrustDB for the next step.

Questions

  • Any game where people trade or use middlemen: Roblox, Minecraft, FiveM, Counter-Strike 2, Valorant, Fortnite, GTA, Steam items and many more. Pick the game and what was traded when you report or filter a lookup.
  • No. TrustDB isn't a party to your deals. We don't hold funds, act as a middleman or get refunds for you. A report helps the next trader see what happened.
  • The receipt, the store or Tebex order IDs, the server ID and the owner or staff user ID, and links to the messages.

More answers in the FAQ.

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.

Read next

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Check before you send anything.

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