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1. Recognizing scams
Most marketplace scams follow the same handful of patterns. Learn these five and you'll recognize nearly all of them:
- "Too good to be true" pricing — a nearly-new phone at half market price is bait, not a bargain. Scammers price low to create urgency.
- Pressure to act now — "someone else is coming in an hour, send a deposit to hold it." Legitimate sellers rarely need you to decide in minutes.
- Payment before inspection — never send money for goods you haven't seen. This is the single most important rule.
- Refusal of live contact — a seller who won't meet, won't video call, and communicates only in text deserves extra caution.
- Unfamiliar couriers and links — be wary of "delivery agents" you didn't choose and payment links you didn't request. Go directly to your own bank or mobile money app, never through a link someone sent.
2. Meeting safely
- Choose a busy, public, well-lit place — a shopping area, café, or mall entrance.
- Meet during daylight hours whenever possible.
- Bring a friend or family member, especially for high-value items.
- Tell someone where you're going and when you'll be back.
- For vehicles: meet where a mechanic can inspect; for property: view with someone you trust.
- Trust your instincts — if something feels wrong, leaving is always allowed.
3. Verifying listings & sellers
- Look for multiple original photos — not one stock image pulled from the internet. The full-screen zoom gallery exists so you can inspect details.
- Check the seller's profile: the ✓ verified badge (ID reviewed by our team), member-since date, ratings from other buyers, and response rate.
- Ask questions only the real owner could answer — service history, where it was bought, what's included.
- For vehicles and property, ask to see ownership documents in person before any money moves.
- Remember: verification confirms identity, not honesty in every deal. Combine it with your own judgment.
4. Protecting your personal information
- You never need to share your home address — meet in public instead.
- In-app chat never reveals your phone number; you decide whether to share it.
- Keep ID numbers, bank details, and passwords out of chat.
- Never share an OTP code with anyone — AYE Market and any legitimate person will never ask for one.
5. Phishing & impersonation
- AYE Market never handles buyer-seller payments and takes no commission. Anyone messaging you claiming to be "AYE Market escrow," "AYE Market support," or a payment agent is impersonating us — report and block immediately.
- We will never ask you to share an OTP code, password, card number, or bank PIN — not by chat, not by email, not by phone. If a message asks for one of these, it isn't really us.
- Be suspicious of links sent in chat that ask you to "verify your account" or "confirm a payment" outside the app — go directly to the app or type a known web address yourself instead of tapping a link from a stranger.
- Check senders carefully: our only official email is ayetechub@gmail.com and our only Telegram channel is @AYETechHub. Look-alike accounts and lookalike domains are a common impersonation tactic.
- If someone impersonates AYE Market or a seller/buyer you were dealing with, report it in-app and email us with screenshots so we can act on the account.
6. Payment safety
- Inspect in person, then pay. In that order, whenever possible.
- For bank or mobile-money transfers, confirm the receiving name matches the person you're dealing with.
- Keep a record — screenshot or receipt — of any payment you make.
- Be suspicious of "payment confirmation" screenshots from buyers: fake ones are easy to make. Confirm money actually arrived in your own account before handing anything over.
- Remember AYE Market itself never handles buyer-seller payments and takes no commission — anyone claiming to be "AYE Market escrow" is a scammer.
7. Job-hunting safety
- Legitimate employers never charge you to apply, interview, or "register." Any job asking for money up front is a scam.
- Your CV on AYE Market is protected — only identity-verified employers can open it.
- Be cautious with interviews at private residences; prefer business premises or public places.
- Report fake vacancies with the listing's Report button — fake job posts violate our Community Guidelines.
8. Your safety tools in the app
- Report — one tap on any listing, chat, or profile, with a specific reason. Every report is reviewed by a human moderator.
- Block — block any user from their profile or a chat; they can no longer message you or see your contact options.
- Contact preference — sellers choose whether to accept chat, calls, or both; your number stays private unless you share it.
- Verified badges — ID-verified sellers and phone-verified accounts are visibly marked.
- Reviews — read what other buyers experienced before you deal, and leave honest reviews after.
9. Emergencies
If you are ever in physical danger during or after a meetup, contact local emergency services first. That always takes priority over anything in the app. Afterward, report the user to us — with a police reference if you have one — so we can act on the account and preserve records.
Something suspicious that isn't an emergency? Report it in-app, or email ayetechub@gmail.com. We review every report.