Staying safe

Most people here are genuine. The few who aren't target newcomers and students, because they are under pressure and don't yet know how things normally work. These are the patterns worth knowing.

Rooms and housing

• Never send money before you have seen the place in person. Not a deposit, not a token advance, not a month's rent. This is the single most common scam and the most expensive one.
• Be suspicious of anyone who is "out of town" and can't show you round, or who offers to courier you the keys after payment.
• Don't send photos of your Aadhaar or PAN card to someone you haven't met — they get reused for identity fraud.
• Ask to see the room while other tenants are in. A genuine shared flat or PG has no reason to refuse.
• Get the rent agreement in writing — even a simple signed one — before any money moves, and take a receipt for the deposit.

Jobs

• A genuine employer never charges you. Not for registration, training, a uniform, a "security deposit" or a laptop fee. Any job that asks for money first is a scam.
• Be wary of any job offered entirely over WhatsApp or Telegram with no interview and unusually high pay.
• "Earn ₹2,000 a day from home" tasks that start by asking you to pay a small fee are task scams. The first payout is bait; the losses come later.
• Never share an OTP, UPI PIN or bank details with an "HR executive". No real employer needs them.
• If you're asked to receive money into your account and pass it on, that's money laundering. Walk away — account holders get prosecuted for this.
• Check the company exists: search it on MCA master data. It's free.

Buying, selling and giveaways

• Meet in a public place in daylight where you can. Bring someone if you can.
• For collections from a home, tell someone where you're going.
• Pay in person, on collection. Never pay an advance by UPI to "reserve" second-hand goods.
• A buyer who sends you a QR code to receive money is trying to take money, not send it. Scanning and entering your PIN pays them.
• Check electrical items work before you take them away.

Payment methods that should stop you

If someone asks for gift cards, cryptocurrency, or a UPI transfer to a stranger's personal name to hold something, it is almost certainly a scam. These methods are chosen precisely because the money can't be recovered.

Report it

Every listing has a 🚨 Looks like a scam button. Use it — it hides the listing immediately and sends it to us. If you've lost money, report it on the National Cyber Crime Portal or call the 1930 helpline — the first hours matter for freezing the money.