Hello everyone,

Today, I write this not to complain, but to share a bitter lesson that I just went through — in hopes of warning anyone who is or will trade P2P.

🗓️ How Did The Story Happen?

A few months ago, I was selling a quantity of USDT on the P2P platform of a large exchange (Binance). As usual, a buyer contacted me quite quickly.

📌 The buyer's profile looks perfect:

  • ✅ Completed over 97% of transactions

    ✅ Hundreds of positive reviews

    ✅ Account has fully verified identity

    ✅ Polite conversation, quick responses

After I entered the amount to sell and provided bank account information, the buyer reported that they had transferred the money. Almost immediately after, he sent a screenshot of the successful transfer.

🧾 The photos look very real:

  • Has bank logo

  • Transaction code is clear

  • Date and time match exactly

  • Sender's name matches the P2P account

Having traded many times before and this person had high credibility, I was complacent and pressed the “Confirm receipt of money” button without checking the bank account.

💥 The Harsh Truth: Money Never Comes Back

I waited about 10 minutes, no notification from the bank.

Then 30 minutes… then 1 hour… still nothing.

I started to doubt and immediately called the bank hotline to check — and received a chilling response:

“Your account has no money transfer transactions today.”

I rushed back to P2P to contact the buyer and discovered:

He had blocked me. The account disappeared from the list.

I immediately contacted Binance support, but because I had confirmed the transaction, the system defaulted that I had received the money and could not intervene.

💔 I Lost 2,000 USD In Just A Few Minutes

I was scammed in a sophisticated way. This is not the system's fault, but my fault — for being hasty and careless.

🔍 These Are The Deadly Mistakes I Made:

❌ Trusting screenshots — something that can easily be edited using emulator software or Photoshop.

❌ Not checking the bank account directly.

❌ Rushing to confirm because thinking that a credible buyer would be fine.

❌ Ignoring a few 'small signs' like the buyer urging me to confirm quickly due to 'urgent work.'

🚨 Lessons Learned — How to Protect Yourself When Trading P2P?

🔒 Here are the unbreakable principles you need to remember:

1️⃣ Only confirm transactions when the MONEY has entered the bank account

  • Don't trust fake bank SMS

  • Don't trust screenshots

  • Must open the app or internet banking, check balance, transaction history very carefully

2️⃣ Absolutely DO NOT let the buyer create time pressure

  • Anyone who urges you to confirm quickly, saying things like “you confirm first, I'll transfer immediately,” is 90% a sign of a scam.

3️⃣ Prioritize transactions with accounts that have identity verification + thick transaction history

  • But also don't trust completely, because old accounts can be hacked, rented, or impersonated.

4️⃣ Trading a large amount? Split it up

  • If you are selling 2,000 USD, split it into 3–4 smaller parts, both to limit risk and to control each step.

5️⃣ Record the transaction process if necessary

  • Especially if something feels 'off', use your phone to record the screen to keep evidence

🔚 Conclusion

I lost 2,000 USD — not because the exchange was insecure, but because I trusted too quickly, acted too carelessly.

Just one wrong click at the wrong time, you could pay the price of a whole month's salary or more.

P2P is a double-edged sword. Fast, convenient — but extremely dangerous if not careful.

🙏 I hope this article will help someone avoid the trap I fell into.

If you find it useful, please share to protect the crypto community from scammers lurking every minute.