Nine red flags in a P2P platform
Walk away if there is no escrow, no visible counterparty history, no documented dispute process, no order export, support only via Telegram, rates that appear only after you commit, guaranteed-return promises, pressure to trade off-platform, or no way to test with a small amount.
A platform is not judged by how it behaves on a good trade. Every platform looks fine on a good trade.
The nine
- 1No escrow, or escrow that locks only *after* payment. The order is the wrong way round.
- 2No counterparty history — no completed trades, no verification, no standing.
- 3No documented dispute process. If nobody will tell you how a dispute is decided, it is decided arbitrarily.
- 4No order export. You cannot produce records you cannot download.
- 5Support that lives in a Telegram group. That is also where impersonators live.
- 6Rates revealed only after you commit. Price should never be a surprise.
- 7Guaranteed returns. A P2P platform matches trades; it does not generate yield.
- 8Encouragement to trade off-platform for a better rate. That is the platform telling you its own protections are optional.
- 9No small minimum. If you cannot test for a few hundred rupees, your first test is expensive by design.
Turn the list around and it becomes a specification — which is exactly what the comparison checklist does.
Escrow first, verified merchants, documented disputes, exportable records, ₹500 minimum.
See for yourselfFrequently asked questions
How do I know if a P2P platform is legit?
Open a small order and watch whether the crypto is escrowed before payment, whether you can see the counterparty's history, and whether you can export the order record afterwards. Those three answers tell you most of it.
- red flags
- safety
- comparison