Got an overseas inquiry: is it a real buyer or a scam? A 10-minute screening checklist
Check three things first. (1) Is the company real? Look up its name and number in the official company register of its country (for example UK Companies House). For EU businesses, VIES also shows VAT number status, but a valid result does not prove the sender is authorised or can pay, and an invalid one does not by itself prove fraud. (2) Is the source right? Does the email domain match the company website, and was it registered recently (ICANN lookup)? (3) Are the requests odd? Asking you to pay before any order, to log in to your email through a link to "see the order", or a sudden change of bank details. These are warning signs to stop and verify independently, not proof of fraud on their own; passing all three does not make a deal safe. Count valid inquiries, not the number of inquiries.
- Applies to
- Chinese factories and exporters receiving overseas inquiries through B2B platforms, their own website, email or WhatsApp.
10-minute screening checklist
| Check | How | Warning sign |
|---|---|---|
| 1. The company exists | UK: Companies House search; elsewhere, the official company register; for EU businesses, VIES shows VAT number status (EU guidance), which is not a company registration record | Not found; name matches but address or officers do not; founded days ago and wants a big order |
| 2. Email and domain | Email domain equals the website domain; check registration date with ICANN lookup | Free webmail for a large company; domain one letter off a known brand; domain a few weeks old |
| 3. Inquiry content | Specific model, quantity, destination port, certification, packing | Only "send catalogue and best price"; a mass template that never names your product |
| 4. Pay first | Any fee before an order | "Supplier registration", "certification" or "inspection" fees to an agency they name |
| 5. Links and attachments | Do not open unknown links or enter your email password on a linked page | "Log in here to view the order/PO", leading to an email sign-in page |
| 6. Changed account | Any change of payment details: verify through contact details you already trust, not a number given in the change request | "We changed banks", with pressure to update now |
| 7. Payment method | How and who pays | Overpays and asks for the difference back; only odd third-party channels |
| 8. Pressure | Is the pace normal? | Constant urgency, no time to check |
| 9. Contact and contracting party | Is the contact authorised to act for the company? Is the contract and payment party that same company? | The signer, the payer and the person writing to you are three different companies |
The FBI's guidance on business email compromise: verify payment or account changes in person or by phone; do not click links in unsolicited messages asking you to update account details, and look up the company's number yourself; check email addresses, URLs and spelling closely; be suspicious of pressure to act quickly. FBI: business email compromise
What you can do yourself
- Run checks 1–3 on every inquiry and log one line: company name, number, domain, registration date, verdict.
- If any of checks 4–9 trips, stop: no payment, no links, until you have verified independently.
- You can simply ask for the full company name, registration number, website, buyer contact and target market (editorial suggestion).
- Agree who pays for samples and freight before sending; start large buyers with a small order.
- Count only valid inquiries: company verified, specific need, willing to keep talking.
When to use a licensed professional
- For large amounts or long-term contracts, have a lawyer review the contract, or commission a credit report on the buyer.
- If you have already paid a scammer, call your bank at once and report to the police; if the other side is in the US, you can also report to the FBI's IC3.
Check before you pay, and warning signs
- Anyone selling "verified inquiry packs" or "guaranteed real buyers": ask where the list comes from and how it was collected (editorial suggestion).
- Third parties charging to "certify you as a supplier": check on the buyer's own website whether such a requirement exists.
Unknowns
- Company registers differ in what they publish; not finding a company in some countries does not prove it is fake, so combine checks.
- Company records, VIES and domain lookups do not guarantee performance or ability to pay.
- This page does not rate any platform or inquiry service.
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