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Before you trade

Safety guide · Updated 28 Oct 2026

Safe trading basics: middlemen, escrow and who goes first

Most trading scams depend on one thing: you sending first. These basics apply in any game and any server.

A middleman or escrow can lower the risk, but only if the person doing it is real and you checked them yourself.

Do and don't

The short version. Skim this first.

Do

  • Agree the price, the items, the payment method and who goes first in writing before anything moves.
  • Use the game's own trade or marketplace system when it has one, and read the game's rules on trades outside it.
  • For bigger deals use a middleman or escrow, and pick one you have checked. Look up their ID in the lookup, not just their name.
  • Confirm a middleman from the server's official staff list or a pinned post, not from a link in a DM.
  • Split a large deal into smaller steps so neither side risks much at once.
  • Keep the deal and the chat in the place you met, so there is a clear record. If someone pushes you to a private app, ask why.
  • Where a payment method offers protection for buyers or sellers, use it and read what it covers.
  • Buyers: screenshot the seller's terms before you pay.

Don't

  • Don't go first with a stranger, especially on a big deal. If neither side will, use a checked middleman or walk away.
  • Don't accept a middleman just because the other trader suggested them or because the name looks official.
  • Don't trade outside a game's trade system if the game says that is against its rules. You may lose both the items and any help from game support.
  • Don't "trust trade", lend or borrow items.
  • Don't pay a deposit, "verification fee" or "unlock fee" to start or release a trade.
  • Don't hurry because others are waiting or the offer is "only today".
  • Don't share your screen or give remote access to anyone who offers to "help" with a trade.

If it already happened (you sent first, or a deal went wrong)

  1. Stop. Don't send more to "fix" it or to "release" what you already sent.
  2. Screenshot the whole chat, the trade window or receipt, and the IDs, with dates visible.
  3. Look up the other trader and any middleman by ID in the lookup.
  4. Report it in the game or app, then report it on TrustDB.
  5. If you paid through a bank or payment service, contact them straight away.
  6. Tell the server's staff privately through an official channel so they can warn others.

Where to go next

The right page on TrustDB for the next step.

Questions

  • No. Fake middleman services are a known scam, and TrustDB takes reports about them. A middleman only helps if they are real and you checked them. Some games do not allow middlemen at all, so follow the game's rules.
  • It means sending your items or money before the other side sends theirs. The person who goes first carries all the risk, which is why scammers ask for it.
  • A neutral third party holds the payment or items until both sides have what was agreed. It is only as safe as the third party, so check who it is before you rely on it.

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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Check before you send anything.

A lookup takes a second and no account. It's the cheapest insurance in trading.

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