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If it already happened

Safety guide · Updated 28 Oct 2026

What to do if you've been scammed

Scams happen to careful people too. What you do in the first hours matters most, and the steps below work for most trading scams.

Be honest with yourself about what is likely. Money and items often cannot be recovered, but a quick, calm response still helps, and it protects the next person.

What TrustDB can and can't do

  • TrustDB can review your report with two staff, publish a record when the evidence supports it, and link accounts so the next trader sees it.
  • TrustDB isn't a party to your deals. We don't hold funds, act as a middleman or get refunds for you.
  • Staff never ask for passwords, tokens or 2FA codes, or for payment. Anyone who does is not TrustDB.

Do and don't

The short version. Skim this first.

Do

  • Stop sending anything, and stop replying to demands for "fees" or "recovery".
  • Save everything first, before they block you or delete messages: chats, profile links, IDs and payment proof.
  • Contact your bank, card issuer or payment service at once if money moved that way.
  • Secure your accounts if you shared a login or clicked a link: change passwords, sign out of other sessions, turn on 2FA.
  • Report it to the platform or game, and to TrustDB.
  • For a significant loss, threats or blackmail, report it to the police or your country's cybercrime service, and ask for a reference number.
  • Tell someone you trust. If you are under 18, tell a parent or guardian.

Don't

  • Don't pay anyone who says they can get your money or items back for a fee.
  • Don't send more money to "unlock" the first payment.
  • Don't crop or edit screenshots.
  • Don't delete chats or leave the server before you have saved the evidence.
  • Don't try to scam the scammer, threaten them, or post their private details.
  • Don't stay silent out of embarrassment. Others may be next.

If it already happened: your first steps, in order

  1. Pause and stop all contact with them.
  2. Save the evidence: full uncropped chats with dates, profile links, IDs, and payment proof with a transaction ID or hash.
  3. Secure your accounts if you gave any login or clicked a link. See the account takeover guide.
  4. Contact your bank or payment service. Whether a payment can be reversed depends on the method and the provider, and nothing is guaranteed. Crypto and gift card payments are often final.
  5. Report it to the platform or game with its own report tool.
  6. Report it on TrustDB with the target's Discord ID, Telegram or Instagram @username, server ID or wallet address.
  7. If the loss is significant, or there are threats or a minor is involved, report it to the police or your country's cybercrime service.
  8. Watch for follow-up scams from fake "recovery" services or fake staff.

Where to go next

The right page on TrustDB for the next step.

Questions

  • Often not, and nobody should promise it. It depends on the payment method, the platform and its rules. Contact your bank or payment service for money, and the platform for accounts. Report to TrustDB so the next trader sees what happened.
  • Yes. A reviewed record is what the next trader finds when they check. Staff aim to give a first response within 24 hours.
  • As soon as you can. Messages get deleted and usernames change, and evidence is easier to keep when it is fresh.

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.

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