The proof-of-payment that proves nothing

You're selling furniture, a car or appliances online. An eager buyer sends a convincing "proof of payment" — bank logo, reference number, correct amount — and pressure to release the goods "since it's paid, funds just take 48 hours to reflect." The screenshot is fabricated; nothing was paid.

The variant: the buyer "overpays," shows proof, and asks you to refund the difference — you refund real money against a fake payment. Because ordinary transfers are slow to recall and not chargeback-protected, goods and money are rarely recovered.

What to do: a payment exists only when *you* see cleared funds inside your own banking app — not an SMS, not a screenshot, not an emailed PDF. Never release goods, or refund an "overpayment," on the strength of a picture.