Identity and authority do not align

Pause when the legal entity, email domain, signatory, seller or buyer role, bank-account name and proposed contracting party do not match. The presence of a mandate letter is not enough if the issuer and the underlying authority cannot be verified independently.

Long intermediary chains, WhatsApp-only contact, free email addresses and resistance to direct corporate verification are important warning signs when combined with unclear authority or inconsistent identities.

The economics are implausible

Large public discounts, extraordinary monthly quantities, instant availability or unusually flexible payment promises require stronger—not weaker—evidence. A credible discount must connect to a defined benchmark, an identified lot or programme and a commercial reason documented in the offer.

For gold, gross weight should not be confused with contained fine metal. For fuel, a generic product name and volume do not establish specification, terminal access or a deliverable programme.

Fees and payment instructions change the risk

Unexplained registration, allocation, legalization, code, release or access fees should be escalated. So should requests to pay a person or unrelated company, route funds to a mismatched jurisdiction or act before the contracting entity and purpose are verified.

Bank coordinates and payment instructions belong inside a controlled transaction process. They should match the executed contract and be independently confirmed through established channels before funds move.

Documents contradict one another

Inconsistent dates, quantities, product descriptions, origins, signatures, logos, inspection companies or vessel and terminal facts can indicate recycled or altered files. Sensitive proof-of-product material circulated publicly is not necessarily reliable and may expose legitimate parties to misuse.

  • Stop and reconcile mismatched legal names or banking identity
  • Verify authority through the issuing organization
  • Check sanctions and beneficial ownership before controlled disclosure
  • Confirm product, location and logistics through appropriate independent parties
  • Do not treat urgency as a reason to bypass diligence