What is covered in Off-Platform Deal Prevention?

Detect and prevent off-platform fossil transactions. Risk links, message scanning, and buyer protection.

How does Jurassic Depot help buyers avoid fossil fraud?

Listings require provenance and restoration disclosure. Buyers can request document review, use expert services, and rely on buyer protection for material misrepresentation.

Should I buy fossils without paperwork?

No. Missing locality, land type, or chain-of-custody documents is a major risk for illegal material, fakes, and failed disputes.

Off-Platform Deal Attempts

Sellers trying to move transactions off Jurassic Depot are almost always hiding something — no provenance check, no escrow, no buyer protection.

Why Sellers Try This

Avoid provenance checks: Listing won't pass the origin firewall.

Avoid fees: Keep 100% instead of paying 10% marketplace fee.

Scam setup: No escrow, no inspection, no dispute resolution. Zero buyer protection.

Illegal material: Fossil is prohibited and would be blocked by compliance.

How Sellers Initiate

Contact info in messages

Phone, email, WhatsApp, social media. 'Text me for better price.'

Creating urgency

'Another buyer interested — contact me directly.' 'Discount if we go direct.'

Suspicious price

Price at $0 or extreme to discourage platform purchase.

Fake cancellation

Cancels auction, contacts winner off-platform with 'buyer fell through' story.

Risk Link Detection

IP Matching

Same IP between accounts → automatic account_risk_links entry.

Device Fingerprinting

Same browser fingerprint or device ID → linked accounts flagged.

Payment Method

Same card, bank account, or token → linked and flagged.

Shipping Address

Same physical address or PO box → fraud review triggered.

Phone Number

Same phone or recovery contact → auto-suspension for high-risk matches.

Message Red Flags

— Phone/email in message

— WhatsApp/Telegram/Signal/Instagram handle shared

— 'Contact me directly for discount'

— 'I don't trust the platform'

— 'Let's handle this privately'

— 'Send payment to my PayPal/Venmo'

— Refusing platform messaging

— 'Contact before bidding' in description

Platform Protection

— Message scanning: Systems detect phone numbers, emails, handles, payment refs

— Warning triggers: both parties get automated risk warning

— Escalation: repeat attempts → seller suspension, buyer restriction

— Audit trail: all messages retained even if archived by user

Buyer Warning

Never go off-platform. Saving 10% on fees means losing 100% of protection. Every seller offering a discount to go off-platform is hiding something. Report them immediately.

Shill Bidding Defense Guide