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Trust & safety

UPI fraud in peer marketplaces: patterns to recognise

Advance payments, fake escrow links, and why in-person inspection stays non-negotiable.

https://bazaar.profixer.in8 April 20265 min read

Most honest local deals follow the same rhythm: chat → meet → inspect → pay. Fraud tries to break that order.

Common patterns

  • Advance / token payment to "reserve" an item before you have seen it.
  • Links claiming to be escrow or buyer protection that are not the platform you started on.
  • Switching to personal UPI with a different name mid-chat after building trust.

What to do

Keep negotiation in-app until you are ready to meet. Pay only after inspection at handover. If something feels rushed, walk away — good deals survive a reschedule.