Evidence Standards

Every published report requires a documented basis. Hearsay ("I heard," "everyone knows") is never sufficient on its own.

Minimum requirement for any submission

At least one piece of primary evidence must be attached: a screenshot of the actual communication (payment request, messages, listing), a payment or transaction record, a photo of a document or item central to the claim, or a link/copy of a police report, court filing, or chargeback/dispute record.

Evidence levels

Published listings display an evidence level so readers can weigh the claim appropriately:

• Documented — Primary Source. Includes an official record: police report, court filing, chargeback determination, or a signed contract central to the claim.
• Documented — Direct Communication. Includes direct communications and/or payment records (screenshots of messages, transaction confirmations) but no third-party official record.
• Documented — Limited. Meets the minimum evidence bar but with weaker or more circumstantial documentation. Read the response section closely on these listings.

What is never sufficient alone

• An unsupported claim with no attached documentation of any kind.
• Screenshots that cannot be tied to a specific, identifiable exchange (no names, dates, or context).
• Evidence that appears edited, cropped in a misleading way, or inconsistent with the claim being made.
• Secondhand accounts ("my friend told me this happened to them") without the actual affected party's documentation.

Fabricated or manipulated evidence

Submitting fabricated, doctored, or materially misleading evidence is a violation of the Community Content Rules and can result in listing removal and account suspension, independent of whether the underlying claim might otherwise be true.

Personal information in evidence

Evidence files may contain personal information not relevant to the claim (other people's names, unrelated account numbers, etc.). Redact what you can before submitting, and moderators may redact further before anything is made available during the response process. Evidence files themselves are never published publicly in full — see our Security Overview and Privacy Notice.