A low price alone does not prove fraud, and a real business can make mistakes. Yet mismatches in company names, contract parties, bank accounts, samples or reports deserve a pause and documented review. One common risk is an impostor using a familiar supplier identity to send a last-minute payment change.
Match the business, contact and contract party
Place the company website, independently verified contact details, business registration, quote, contract, invoice and beneficiary on one sheet. Record names, addresses, domains and contacts. A different name may have a legitimate explanation, but obtain supporting documents and verify the relationship through an independent channel.
Verify every change in bank instructions
Stop when you receive an urgent “new finance account” or changed payment request. Do not call the number supplied in the new message. Call a previously verified number or one obtained independently, compare the beneficiary with the contract party, and have a second colleague approve the change. An email reply or chat screenshot alone does not authenticate a bank account.
Test whether quote, sample and documents agree
Flag an unusually low quote, a guarantee of unconditional compliance, refusal to provide a verifiable sample, mismatched certificate models or changing explanations of factory capacity. Compare sample photos, specifications, report references, production location and price assumptions. Treat claims without matching evidence as open questions.
Control the first order through terms and milestones
Put specifications, approved sample, packaging, quantity, lead time, acceptance method, change process and dispute procedure in the order. Match first-order size and payment milestones to evidence that can actually be verified. If an audit, inspection or escrow service is needed, confirm its provider, scope and price; do not assume the platform has performed it.
Preserve evidence and escalate anomalies
Record who requested each change and when. Save original emails, chat records, invoices, contracts and beneficiary details. If a transfer may be fraudulent, contact the sending bank promptly about recall options and report through appropriate platforms or authorities. Resume only after documenting how the discrepancy was resolved and who approved the decision.
Five questions before paying
- Do contract, invoice and payee identify the same party, or is a different name reliably explained?
- Was any bank change confirmed using a known independent channel?
- Do sample, model, quote and test documents describe the same goods?
- Does delivery or acceptance evidence justify the current payment milestone?
- Is every unresolved discrepancy assigned to an owner with a stop condition?
Source: FBI IC3: business email compromise and payment-change verification.