How to recognise a scam, check the other side and complete a deal without losing money
A practical safety guide for iniaz.ru users in Russia: twelve common fraud patterns, nine steps for a safe deal, a table of danger signals, documents to check before paying, and how to report fraud to the platform and the police.
Read this before the patterns; the patterns are variations on a small number of tricks
Almost every fraud on a classifieds platform depends on one of three things: a payment made before anything can be verified, a move to a private channel where nothing is recorded, or a false sense of urgency that makes you skip a check you would normally do. Remove those three openings and the overwhelming majority of scams simply stop working.
The first principle is to verify before you pay. A flat can be visited, a car can be inspected, a company can be checked in the tax register, and an employer can be asked for a written contract. If the other side refuses every one of those steps, the refusal is the answer, whatever the explanation sounds like.
The second principle is to keep a record: a price, a deposit and a handover date written in a chat or a contract are what a bank, a court or a police officer will ask for. The third is that urgency is a weapon: a genuine landlord, seller or employer can wait an hour while you check a document.
Each card describes what the fraudster does and the specific way to stop it
Attractive photos, a price below the market, and a reason why you cannot view the flat today: the owner is abroad, the tenant is still there, the keys are with a relative. A deposit or an agency fee is requested before any viewing. Never pay for a property you have not entered and whose owner you have not identified.
A generous salary for simple work, then a fee for training, a uniform, equipment, a medical certificate or a placement. Legitimate employment does not require the candidate to pay the employer. A vacancy that asks for money is a report to safety@iniaz.ru, not an opportunity.
The buyer sends more than the agreed amount, or sends a screenshot showing a transfer, and asks you to return the difference to another account. Check your real bank balance, never refund a transfer you cannot see, and treat any screenshot as unverified until the money is in your account.
A message says a payment is waiting and asks you to confirm it through a link. The page looks like a bank or a delivery service and asks for card details, a CVV or an SMS code. Receiving money never requires you to enter credentials; open your own banking app instead.
A notice claims a parcel is held at customs or at a warehouse and requires a small fee to be released. The amount is deliberately small, because the goal is the card details, not the fee. Track a parcel only through the carrier's own website or app, never through a link in a message.
A price well below the market, a duplicate vehicle passport, a VIN that does not match the body, or a seller who is not the registered owner. The car may be pledged to a bank or assembled from parts. Check the documents against the car and the official restriction databases before any payment.
A contractor quotes a low price, asks for a large advance for materials, starts work, then disappears or demands more money. Agree a written scope and a payment schedule tied to completed stages, verify the contractor's registration, and never pay the full amount in advance.
An agency offers a list of flats for a one-off fee and the list turns out to be outdated, or the same numbers are given to everyone. Ask whether the fee is for a service you can verify, get the terms in writing, and prefer to deal with the owner or a documented agent.
Someone claiming to be support asks for a one-time SMS code to protect your account, or sends a link to a fake sign-in page. A code is the last barrier before someone takes your account. iniaz.ru staff never ask for it, and you should never read it to anyone.
A buyer says they are abroad and will send a courier, then asks you to pay the courier or to release the item before the transfer clears. Another version asks you to accept a transfer to your card and forward the money. Insist on payment you can see in your own account before handing anything over.
An offer promises a fixed high return, a private investment scheme or a crypto opportunity with no risk. Such offers are prohibited on the platform and are a classic pyramid. Russian law does not permit guaranteed returns, and a request to recruit others is a further warning sign.
A user proposes a protected transaction through a link, a bot or a support account that will hold the money. iniaz.ru does not provide escrow, does not hold funds between users, and has no support account in a messenger. Any offer of a protected payment outside the official site is an impersonation.
The sequence matters: verification comes before money, always
Reply through the listing chat so that the offer, the price and the meeting place are recorded. Moving to a private messenger in the first message is a common tactic to remove the evidence that support can review later.
Look at the account age, the verification badge, the number of active listings, the photos and the reviews. Compare the photos with a reverse image search, and read the description for details that do not fit the price or the category.
Meet during the day in a busy place for the first viewing, and tell someone where you are going. Do not hand over a deposit at a first meeting in a car, a stairwell or a location you cannot identify.
For housing, match the passport with the name in the ownership extract; for a car, match the seller with the registered owner; for a company, check the ИНН or OGRN in the tax register. A name mismatch needs a written power of attorney, not a reassuring explanation.
Open the taps, check the heating, the windows and the meter readings; drive the car and have it inspected; test the equipment. Photograph the condition on the day you receive it. A deposit paid before an inspection is a deposit you may never see again.
Use a lease, a sale contract or a service agreement that states the price, the deposit, the dates, the scope and the conditions for return. Both sides sign, and each keeps a copy. A written document is also what a bank needs for a chargeback and a court needs for a claim.
Prefer a bank transfer or a card payment that leaves a record, and write the purpose in the payment reference. Avoid cash without a receipt, transfers to a card in a different person's name, and crypto payments, which are effectively irreversible. Pay the full price only when you receive the item or the keys.
Never share a password, a one-time code or a card CVV with the other party, even if they claim the platform or the bank requires it. Keep the conversation on the platform until the deal is complete, and be careful with documents you upload, which may contain personal data.
Leave an honest review after the deal, and report anything suspicious even if you did not lose money. Reports are what allow the platform to restrict an account before the next person pays. If money was lost, report to safety@iniaz.ru and to the police.
One signal is a reason to slow down; two together are a reason to stop
| Signal | What it looks like | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Price far below market | A flat, car or phone at half the usual price, explained as a hurry or a departure | Compare with three similar listings, ask why, and inspect before any payment |
| Manufactured urgency | Today only, other buyers are waiting, the owner leaves tomorrow | Take an hour to verify; a real offer survives an hour |
| Payment to a personal card | A card number in another person's name, or a request to send to a relative | Ask for a contract and a receipt; prefer a traceable payment to the documented party |
| Refusal to meet or show documents | Owner abroad, keys with a friend, documents only by photocopy | Do not pay; report the listing |
| Request for an SMS code | A message claims a code is needed to confirm a refund, a payment or a delivery | Never share it; report and change your password |
| A link to pay or confirm | A short link that opens a page asking for card details or a CVV | Close it and open the official app or website yourself |
| New account, many identical listings | Account created days ago, the same text in several cities | Treat as high risk; check the photos and report duplicates |
| Salary above the market for simple work | No interview, immediate start, a fee for training or equipment | Refuse any payment and report the vacancy |
| Deposit before viewing | A small deposit to reserve the flat or the car until tomorrow | Do not pay before an inspection and a written agreement |
| Fake escrow or safe deal | A link or a bot that will hold the money until delivery | Remember that iniaz.ru does not hold funds between users; refuse |
| Screenshot instead of a balance | A picture of a transfer that does not appear in your account | Check your own bank balance; never refund money you cannot see |
| Pressure to go off-platform | The first message asks for WhatsApp, Telegram or a phone call only | Keep the key terms in the platform chat as a record |
A pattern is not proof of fraud, but it is a reason to verify. Report a listing that shows several signals; moderation sees the account history you cannot.
What to ask for, depending on what you are buying or renting
Call 112, the single emergency number in Russia, if a person is in immediate danger, and call 102 to reach the police. File a police report (заявление в полицию) in the district where the payment was made or the meeting took place, and keep its registration number. Then write to safety@iniaz.ru with the listing number, the chat and the payment evidence: reports are monitored 24/7 with a four-hour first-response target. Do not pay anyone who promises to recover your money for a fee.
What to send, who sees it and how long it takes
Use the report button on the listing or the profile, and choose the reason that fits best: fraud, prohibited item, threat or dangerous content. Then send the evidence to safety@iniaz.ru, because a report with documents can be acted on faster than a report alone. Include the listing number, the account name, the dates in Moscow time, the chat, the payment proof and a one-sentence description of what happened.
A safety report is acknowledged and reviewed against a four-hour first-response target, around the clock. Where the risk is clear, the listing is restricted or the account is suspended while the case is reviewed, and the records are preserved. We tell you the outcome where doing so does not disclose another person's personal data. We cannot reverse a bank transfer, but we can preserve evidence and cooperate with a lawful request from the police.
If money was lost, the police report is the step that creates a criminal case file; the platform's records support it but do not replace it. For a consumer service, Rospotrebnadzor is the supervisory authority. For a private deal, a civil claim can be filed in court, and a written contract, receipts and chat records are the evidence a court will examine.
Fraud reports also improve the platform for everyone. A pattern that appears in several reports leads to a change in moderation rules, additional verification for a category, or a warning shown on similar listings. Reporting removes an account before the next person pays.
iniaz support is available daily 09:00–21:00 MSK; safety matters are handled 24/7.