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Pay protection & scam awareness

Most booking disputes come down to money talk that happened off the rails.

MusicXen builds guardrails into booking threads — but you're the last line

of defense.

The built-in tips

On any booking thread (a conversation tied to a show, or with pinned deal

terms), you'll see a pay-protection banner with the basics:

  • Get the deal in writing — pin the pay, date, and venue as key terms.
  • Deposits up front — never play for "exposure" from a stranger.
  • Never send money to book a gig — real venues don't charge bands to play.
  • Keep payment talk on MusicXen until you trust the other side.

You can dismiss the banner per thread (it stays visible to the other person

until they dismiss it too).

Scam warnings

If someone you barely know starts talking about money, you'll see a scam

warning on the thread. Messages that match known scam patterns — the

overpayment "refund" trick, wire transfers, gift-card "fees", paying to

play — are flagged inline. Treat them as educational, not proof: a flagged

message might be innocent. But if it smells like a scam, it usually is.

Red flags

  • Asking for gift cards, wire transfers, or cash apps before you've played.
  • "We'll pay you extra, just refund the difference."
  • Asking for your bank login, ID photos, or passwords.
  • Rushing you: "pay now or the slot goes to someone else."

Report scams with Report on their profile —

that's the fastest way to get a scammer in front of the moderators.

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