The Two-Sided Market Problem
Marketplaces live and die by the quality of their network. Whether you are connecting drivers with riders, hosts with guests, or freelancers with clients, you face two primary risks: Fraud and Platform Leakage (Disintermediation).
Bad actors use fake emails to create multiple accounts for review bombing, money laundering, or phantom listings. Meanwhile, legitimate users sometimes create throwaway accounts to bypass bans or limits. The common denominator in these malicious activities is the lack of a verifiable identity.
Email as the First Line of Defense
Identity verification (scanning passports) is expensive and adds friction. Email verification is cheap, invisible, and fast. It acts as the first filter in your Trust & Safety stack.
By integrating EmailVerifierAPI.com, you can enforce specific rules:
- Block Disposable Emails: Users who intend to build a long-term reputation on your platform (e.g., a Superhost) do not use `tempmail.com`. Blocking these domains forces users to reveal their true identity.
- Flag Low Scores: If a new seller signs up with a valid but low-score email (newly created, gibberish name), flag their listings for manual moderation before they go live.
Preventing Platform Leakage
Platform leakage occurs when users take the transaction off-site to avoid your fees. Users who intend to circumvent your system often use burner emails to communicate with counterparties without risking their main account.
By enforcing a "Business or ISP Email Only" policy (blocking free or risky providers) for high-value seller accounts, you increase the psychological barrier to bad behavior. When a user has to attach their primary, long-term email address to an account, they are significantly less likely to violate your Terms of Service.
Scaling Trust
As your marketplace grows, you cannot manually review every user. Automated email verification provides a scalable "Trust Score" signal. It allows you to offer instant onboarding to low-risk users while adding friction (like phone verification or ID upload) only to the high-risk segment identified by our API.