Safety & Anti-Fraud Guide
Verify every offline detail to safeguard your identity, finances, and property.
Three Non-Negotiable Safety Rules
No in-person walkthrough, no payment. Never share SMS verification codes. Reject guaranteed investment returns.
Dating & Personal Safety Standards
- Watch for three critical red flags: Refusing video verification, rushing off-platform, or asking for funds/investments. These are 100% scams.
- Always meet in busy, daylight public locations. Inform trusted friends or family of your destination and contacts in advance.
- Arrange independent transportation; do not accept private rides or rides to your personal residence on early dates.
- Never share intimate photographs or participate in unauthorized foreign exchange or cryptocurrency platforms.
Rental & Real Estate Safety
- Always tour apartments in person with the verified owner or licensed broker (verify deeds on NYC ACRIS).
- New York State Law restricts security deposits to a maximum of one month's rent, and background check fees to $20.
- Claims of 'living abroad, keys mailed upon wire', 'deposit required before viewing', or prices far below market rate are textbook scams.
- Property purchases should always proceed through licensed closing attorneys with deposits held in formal escrow.
Commercial Leases & Business Sales
- Verify Certificate of Occupancy and municipal Zoning prior to signing to confirm your intended retail or commercial use.
- Examine tax returns, bank statements, and point-of-sale audits—do not rely solely on verbal representations of revenue.
- Conduct formal title and lien searches through legal counsel to ensure property tax and vendor debts are resolved.
- Never pay unescrowed deposits prior to definitive executed contracts.
Employment & Job Search
- Legitimate employers never demand upfront fees for training, application processing, or uniforms.
- Work-from-home package re-shipping, mystery shopping, or review farming are common criminal recruiting fronts.
- All positions must meet statutory minimum wage laws ($17/hour in NYC) with lawful overtime compensation.
- Listings requesting young females with free lodging, cash wages, and no credentials may signal labor exploitation; report immediately.
Secondhand Transactions & Vehicles
- Transact in person in secure public places (e.g., local police precinct safe exchange zones).
- Do not send deposits or accept payment via gift cards, wire transfers, or unverified peer-to-peer apps.
- When purchasing vehicles, always verify the VIN, clean certificate of title, and Carfax inspection records.
Verification Code Phishing (Google Voice)
- Scammers asking you to forward a numeric verification code to 'prove you are human' are attempting to hijack your identity.
- Never share authentication codes with any party. AI168 representatives will never ask for your verification code.
Romance Investment Fraud (Pig Butchering)
- Online acquaintances promising insider returns on overseas crypto exchanges or precious metals are coordinated syndicates.
- Initial small test withdrawals are engineered to fabricate trust before luring catastrophic sums that cannot be withdrawn.
- Never install third-party APK investment apps recommended by strangers.
How AI168 Protects You
Automated Fair Housing & Employment Screening
Scans listings before publication to reject unlawful discriminatory language under federal and state statutes.
AI Risk Scoring & Escrow Verification
Flags wire requests, out-of-state landlord claims, and task scams for manual moderator review before public display.
In-App Safety Interventions
Real-time warning banners appear when sensitive keywords ('gift card', 'security deposit via wire') are detected in chat.
Verified Community Bounty
Confirmed scam reports earn 10 168AI Coins; listings with multiple active complaints are temporarily hidden pending review.
If you encounter fraudulent activity, cease financial communication immediately. Report incidents to local police (NYC 311 / 911) and the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (ic3.gov).
Back to Home