Safety Tips

Your safety is our priority. Follow these guidelines when buying or selling on CryptoMarket ZA.

🛡️ General Safety

✓Meet in public places for in-person transactions. Choose well-lit, busy locations like shopping centres or police stations.
✓Bring someone with you when meeting a buyer or seller for the first time.
✓Trust your instincts. If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.
✓Report suspicious listings immediately using the report button on any listing.

!Crypto transactions are irreversible. Once sent, cryptocurrency cannot be refunded or reversed. There is no chargeback.
!Never send crypto before confirming receipt of goods. For in-person trades, inspect the item first. For shipped goods, wait until delivery is confirmed.
✓Double-check wallet addresses before every transaction. Copy-paste carefully and verify the first and last characters.
✓Never share your private keys or seed phrases with anyone — not buyers, sellers, or even platform support.
✓Verify payment on-chain before handing over goods. Wait for sufficient network confirmations (e.g. 1 for Bitcoin, 12 for Ethereum).
✓Be aware of clipboard malware that replaces copied wallet addresses. Always verify the address after pasting.

🚩Seller asks you to pay before meeting or seeing the item.
🚩Price is significantly below market value with no reasonable explanation.
🚩Seller pressures you to transact quickly or creates artificial urgency.
🚩Communication moves off-platform immediately (WhatsApp, Telegram) before any trust is built.
🚩Seller asks for payment to a different wallet address than what's on their profile.
🚩Claims of "escrow" or "payment protection" that isn't provided by CryptoMarket ZA.

✓Confirm crypto payment on-chain before handing over goods. Don't rely on screenshots — verify the actual blockchain transaction.
✓Wait for sufficient confirmations. Zero-confirmation transactions can be reversed (double-spend).
✓Use a fresh wallet address for each transaction for better privacy.
✓Be aware of network fees. The buyer should account for blockchain transaction fees on top of the item price.

✓Inspect items in person before sending any payment, especially for high-value goods.
✓Check the seller's profile. Look for verified email, account age, and other listings.
✓Agree on the exact crypto amount before transacting. Prices fluctuate — confirm the amount in both ZAR and crypto.
✓Keep records of all communications and transaction hashes for your protection.

If you encounter suspicious activity or have been scammed, report it immediately.

You can also report fraud to the South African Police Service (SAPS) or the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC).