Safety & scam awareness
Practical rules that protect most foreigners in China. Read this before paying anyone.
1. Five hard rules
- Never transfer money upfront. Any request for a deposit, down payment or handling fee "before we meet or ship" should be treated as fraud.
- Keep payments traceable. Use a method with dispute handling (PayPal, a credit card) rather than a private transfer where nobody can help you later.
- Never share your card PIN, banking password or SMS codes. Anyone asking for a verification code to "refund", "unfreeze" or "verify" you is stealing from you.
- Use licensed agencies for visas and work permits. Anyone promising "guaranteed approval" or "inside connections" is a serious risk.
- Meet in public, and bring a friend. For a first meeting choose a place with cameras and staff. Do not go to someone's home or an isolated address.
2. Common scams in China
| Scam | What it sounds like | How to spot it |
|---|---|---|
| Police / court | "You are implicated in money laundering — we need your cooperation." | Chinese authorities do not investigate by phone, WeChat, or email, and never ask you to move money to a "safe account". Hang up and call 110. |
| Fake support | "Your account is abnormal, click here to upgrade it." | We will never ask for your password or a code, and never send you a link to top up. |
| Investment | "Inside allocation, guaranteed 30% a year." | Guaranteed high returns = fraud. It is especially common on dating and friendship platforms. |
| Advance payment | "I'll pay the deposit for you, just cover the fee." | Any request that makes you front the money is a scam. |
| Task-based job | "Simple work, $300 a day, just like and rate products." | Any job asking you to deposit, top up, or "raise your limit" first is a scam. |
| Rental bait | Cheap apartment, pressure to pay a deposit right now. | Never pay a deposit before seeing the property and verifying the landlord's identity. |
| Document forgery | "No need to come in person, certificate tomorrow." | Forged documents can lead to your detention, and using them is itself a crime. |
3. Checklist whenever money or documents are involved
- Before paying: confirm who the other person is, what exactly you are buying, and what the refund terms are.
- When paying: prefer channels with dispute handling (PayPal, credit card) over private WeChat or Alipay transfers.
- After paying: keep the chat history, receipt, transfer record and proof of delivery.
- Documents: never lend your passport original; if you genuinely need an agent, use a licensed firm and get a written agreement.
- Investments: stay away from "inside channels", "pre-IPO shares" and anything promising principal protection.
4. If something goes wrong
- Suspicious listing → use the report link at the bottom of the listing. A human reviews every report.
- Suspected fraud → stop transferring, keep the evidence, and call 96110 (anti-fraud hotline) or 110.
- Consular help → contact your own country's embassy or consulate in China; in an emergency dial 12308 (Ministry of Foreign Affairs global consular protection).
- Feedback about the platform itself → Contact us.
5. What the platform does and does not do
We do four things: real-time screening of prohibited content (pornography, drugs, immigration fraud, violence; the same rule set applies to Chinese and English content), two-stage manual review of submitted listings, requests and ad creatives (a configurable pre-payment content review plus a mandatory go-live review after payment; both must pass before anything is displayed), manual review of every user report, and merchant identity checks. What we do not do is take part in any transaction you arrange with another person, and we cannot underwrite your losses. A "verified merchant" badge means we confirmed basic registration details — it is not an endorsement of service quality. We would rather be clear about that than over-promise.