Item and pet 'trust trade' scams in Roblox economies
In trading games, a scammer offers to 'go first', takes a child's rare items, and disappears — or steers them to a fake trading site that captures the login.
- Most relevant to:
- Ages 9–12, 13–15
- Commonly reported on:
- Roblox
- Published:
- Last reviewed:
Start here: Explain that legitimate trades happen only inside the game's official trade window.
What is happening
- In trade-based games like Adopt Me or Murder Mystery 2, a scammer offers a 'trust trade' or 'cross-trade'.
- They convince the child to hand over items first, promising to send payment after — then leave.
- Some funnel children to fake 'trading' websites that phish logins.
Why it matters
Potential impact: Irrecoverable loss of items the child spent real money or months acquiring, sometimes with credential theft on a fake trading page — and the embarrassment that stops them telling you.
Recommended next step: For awareness. Useful context; no immediate action is suggested.
What to watch for
- Lost rare in-game items the child is upset or secretive about.
- Talk of 'trust trades' or trading on an outside website.
What parents can do
- Explain that legitimate trades happen only inside the game's official trade window.
- Never 'go first' and never trade on outside sites.
- Report scammers in-game.
Start the conversation
“If a trade goes wrong, tell me — I am not going to say 'I told you so'. Real trades only ever happen in the game's own trade window.”
Say it in your own words, before anything has gone wrong. A child who has heard this once already knows where to go the day it matters.
Sources and evidence
Evidence: Confirmed. Corroborated by two or more independent organizations — safety bodies, regulators, researchers, or established newsrooms. Last reviewed
If this is happening now
- Report the account in-game. Items are rarely recoverable, so say so honestly rather than promising a fix.
- If they entered a login on an outside 'trading' site, change the password and turn on 2-Step Verification now.
- Treat the loss as a lesson rather than a punishment — a child who is punished for being scammed hides the next one.
If a child is in immediate danger, contact local emergency services. To report online exploitation, use the NCMEC CyberTipline, or Take It Down to get an image removed.
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