I want to share a really stressful situation that happened to me recently while trading crypto on P2P. I am writing this so you can learn from my experience, avoid the same trap, and know exactly what to do if your account ever gets blocked.
I was doing some regular P2P trades on Binance. Because my own bank account limit was already maxed out for the day, I decided to use my mother's Bank of India account to receive payments. I opened a trade and sold some crypto to a buyer named Khushi. The money showed up in the bank, so I released the crypto. Everything seemed totally normal.
Then, out of nowhere, we received this exact text message:
"BOI-Your a/c no XX1396 at our SHABAD branch is Lien marked due to Cyber Police notice.For lien lifting,contact your branch"
That is how I found out a partial freeze of ₹7,500 was slapped on my mom's account.
I was panicking because I urgently needed that money to pay back a loan. After doing some digging, I found out the money "Khushi" sent me was actually stolen from someone else. The real victim reported the stolen money to the 1930 National Cyber Crime portal. The police traced the money straight to my mom's account, and the Tamil Nadu cyber police ordered the Shabad branch to freeze that exact amount.
I was the victim of a third-party scam. The scammer got my crypto, the victim lost their money, and I got stuck with a frozen bank account.
If you ever get a message like the one I got, here is exactly how to complain and get your account unfrozen:
Step 1: Go straight to your bank branch
You cannot fix this over the phone. You need to go to the bank in person. Since it was my mom's account, we went together to the Shabad branch. Talk to the bank manager and ask for the exact details of the freeze. You specifically need the 1930 complaint acknowledgment number, the exact amount that is blocked, and the email address of the cyber police station that ordered the lien.
Step 2: Gather all your proof
You have to prove to the police that you are an honest crypto seller, not a hacker. Open your Binance app and download everything. Take screenshots of the trade receipt, the chat history with the buyer, and your bank statement showing the money arriving.
Step 3: Email the Cyber Police
Send an email directly to the cyber police station (in my case, the Tamil Nadu cell) using the address the bank gave you. Keep it simple. Explain that you are a legitimate P2P crypto trader, you sold your assets in good faith, and you had no idea the buyer was using flagged money. Attach all your screenshots as solid proof.
Step 4: Report the scammer on Binance
Don't let them do this to someone else. Go to Binance customer support, report the buyer's profile, and give them the police complaint details. Ask them to block the scammer.
My biggest lesson:
To protect yourself, never accept money if the name on the bank transfer doesn't perfectly match the name on the P2P profile. If they don't match, cancel the trade immediately.
It takes time and a lot of follow-up emails to get a lien lifted, but if you have your proof ready, you can clear your name and get your money back.
#P2PScam #cybercrime @Binance Risk Sniper