New P2P Scam Alert: "Excess Transfer" Trap

The P2P cryptocurrency trading market (Peer-to-Peer) is increasingly developing strongly thanks to its convenience, speed, and the lack of intermediaries. However, along with that popularity, scams are also continuously transforming, becoming more sophisticated to exploit users' complacency and trust. Recently, a new tactic has emerged that has caught many people off guard: the "overpayment trap." How Does the Trap Work? The process of this scam is quite simple but extremely effective against unsuspecting victims: Start normal trading The scammer conducts a P2P transaction just like any other buyer. After agreeing on the price and receiving the wallet address, they proceed to transfer funds. Intentionally transferring excess money. Instead of sending the exact amount, they will "add" a small amount, usually only between 3 – 5 USD. This amount, while not large, is enough to create a special situation. Pretending to be polite, request a refund. Right after transferring the money, the scammer texted the seller politely: "Sorry, I accidentally transferred a few dollars extra. Could you please refund me?" For many sellers, this is just a small, reasonable request that doesn't significantly impact the transaction. Therefore, they easily agree. The trap falls down. When the seller refunds the "excess" amount through a private transaction outside the platform, the scammer immediately reports to the system that the seller has violated the off-platform trading rules. The common consequences are: The account may be temporarily suspended or permanently banned. The seller risks losing the cryptocurrency just traded as they are no longer protected. Reputation in the P2P market is severely affected, making future transactions difficult. Why Is This Trick Dangerous? The sophistication of this trick lies in its exploitation of human psychology rather than technology: Appealing to kindness: Everyone wants to behave civilly and help partners to maintain their reputation. A small amount of money, easy to overlook: Because it's only a few USD, many people do not see this as a serious issue. Creating a reasonable scenario: With a polite attitude and persuasive conversation, the scammer makes the victim act emotionally rather than rationally. Advice for P2P Traders To protect their assets and reputation, users must strictly adhere to the following principles: No Trading Outside the Platform: Even a direct refund of just 1 USD should not be made. All processing must go through the system to ensure transparency.Contact Support Immediately: If a "surplus transfer" situation truly arises, report it to the exchange for official handling guidance.Put Safety First: In trading, do not let courtesy or the desire to maintain an image make you lose your vigilance. Conclusion The "excess transfer" trap is evidence of the increasing sophistication of scams in P2P transactions. They rely not only on technical methods but also fully exploit the goodwill of individuals. Users should always remember: only trade within the platform's framework, report promptly to the support team when encountering unusual situations, and do not let their kindness become a "weakness" for scammers to exploit.