The message looks practical: “Buying USDT for cash, good rate, I can come to you.” You agree a place. They keep texting on the way. It feels safer than sending coins to a stranger online — until the last step, when they ask you to verify that your Tether (USDT) is “clean” on a link that looks like a block explorer or anti-money laundering (AML) tool.
That page is often a clone. Connecting a wallet or signing a “verification” transaction can grant an allowance that lets them drain USDT without ever handing over cash. Reported losses in this pattern run to thousands of dollars in a single meeting that never quite happens.
Safer habits: meet only through reputable escrow or licensed exchange peer-to-peer with on-platform chat; never paste seed phrases; never sign unknown permits; confirm explorer URLs by typing them yourself (for Tron, the real Tronscan domain — not a lookalike); and walk away if “one quick check” appears only when money is about to change hands. If you already approved a spending allowance, revoke it from a clean device and move remaining funds to a fresh wallet.
If this pattern matches something you have seen, start at Get help. If someone offers paid “recovery” of drained USDT, read Fake recovery first.
This article is for general information only. It is not legal or financial advice. Details change. If you have lost money, contact your bank or card issuer and use the routes on the help pages.