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Legal, Trust, and Safety Center

Risk & Safety

No-Custody Risk Disclosure

This disclosure explains Akara's no-custody model and the risks users must understand.

EFFECTIVE: JULY 5, 2026

Akara does not hold, receive, escrow, custody, remit, convert, or move user funds. Users send money directly to each other through their own bank or mobile money accounts. Users must confirm payout details before sending money. KYC data, receipts, and WhatsApp chat records may be used for fraud prevention and dispute review. Akara may pause trades, restrict accounts, suspend listings, require admin review, or block users where needed for safety.

Key reminders

  • Akara does not hold or move funds
  • Confirm payout details before sending
  • KYC data, receipts, and chat records may be used for fraud prevention and dispute review
  • Akara may pause trades or restrict accounts for safety

Akara Does Not Hold Funds

Akara does not hold, receive, escrow, custody, remit, convert, or move user funds. Every payment on an Akara-coordinated trade travels directly from one user's bank or mobile money account to the other user's account. Akara is a coordination layer around that direct payment, not a participant in it.

What This Means

Because Akara never touches the money, Akara cannot:

  • Stop a payment after it has been sent
  • Force a reversal of a completed payment
  • Guarantee a refund
  • Make a bank or mobile money provider return funds

Your Responsibility Before Sending Money

Before sending any money, you are responsible for confirming:

  • The payout account name
  • The account number or mobile money number
  • The currency
  • The amount
  • The trade reference code
  • The current trade status

Fraud and Dispute Review

KYC data, receipts, and WhatsApp chat records may be used for fraud prevention and dispute review. Akara may pause trades, restrict accounts, or require admin review where needed for safety. Disputes are reviewed under the Dispute Resolution Policy, but review outcomes cannot create refunds from funds Akara does not hold.

Important Warning

If a user sends money to the wrong details, sends money outside Akara's flow, or sends money after a trade has expired, recovery may not be possible. Always confirm payout details inside the trade before sending money.