Supplier Red Flags: B2B Sourcing Scams and How to Avoid Them

Supplier scams in international trade usually follow a few repeating patterns: a fake company with a convincing website, a proforma invoice from a lookalike email address, bank details changed at the last moment, a cheap sample followed by silence, or stolen photos of someone else's factory. You can avoid most of them by verifying the company, confirming payment details by a second channel, using traceable payment methods and refusing to rush. This guide explains how b2b sourcing scams work and what to do if you have already paid.

Most suppliers are honest, and the vast majority of international orders arrive as agreed. But importers are an attractive target because they send money across borders, and recovery is difficult. The patterns below are described in general terms; they do not refer to any named company.

Common patterns of fake suppliers

1. The fake or copied company

The scammer builds a website, uses photos taken from real factories, and shows registration documents that may be forged or belong to a different company. Prices are attractive and replies are fast and friendly. The company does not exist or has no real production.

2. The "too good to be true" price

Too good to be true prices are a classic bait. A quote far below all others, with a big discount "only this week", is meant to make you skip checks. Real factories can sometimes be cheaper, but they can explain why: scale, materials, location. A scammer cannot.

3. Fake proforma invoice and changed bank details

Scammers monitor or imitate email conversations. Just before payment, a message arrives from an address that looks almost identical to the supplier's, saying "our bank account has changed, please pay here". The money goes to the fraudster. This is one of the most common payment scams importers face, and it affects honest suppliers too, because their email accounts may have been hacked.

4. Sample then vanish

The scammer sends a perfect sample, sometimes even a real one bought elsewhere, asks for a large deposit on the production order, and disappears. The sample proved nothing about the factory.

5. Stolen factory photos and certificates

Photos, videos and certificates are copied from real companies. A reverse image search can sometimes show the original source. Certificates may have another company's name or an altered date.

6. The advance-fee or "release" scam

After you have paid, new costs appear: customs fee, tax, insurance, a "release" payment. Each one is needed "to ship the goods". The goods never leave.

7. Fake inspection or freight agent

The supplier recommends its own "inspection company" or "forwarder", which is controlled by the same fraudster and issues a good report or a false bill of lading. You should choose and pay independent service providers yourself.

Warning signs checklist

• Pressure: "pay today", "price expires tonight", "another buyer is waiting".
• Price far below the market, with no technical explanation.
• Refusal of a live video call, or excuses when you ask for specific views.
• Email from a free address or a lookalike domain, or inconsistent spelling of the company name.
• Payment requested to a personal account, or to a country unconnected with the supplier.
• Request for payment by cryptocurrency, gift cards or untraceable transfer services.
• Documents with mismatched names, dates or fonts.
• Reluctance to put terms in a written contract or purchase order.
• Little history: new website, no real reviews, no independent references.

One sign alone is not proof. Several together should make you stop.

How to avoid supplier fraud: a prevention routine

1. Verify before you negotiate. Follow our supplier due-diligence checklist: registration, address, video call, references, certificates.
2. Know who you are dealing with. Understand whether the company is a factory, trader or distributor; see manufacturer vs trading company vs distributor.
3. Use a callback rule for bank details. Any time bank details are given or changed, phone a known number and confirm with a person you have already spoken to. Do not use contact details from the new message.
4. Pay only to an account in the company's legal name. Do not pay a personal account for a company order.
5. Split payments. Pay a deposit and a balance linked to inspection or shipping documents where possible.
6. Use payment methods with protection or records. Read how to pay overseas suppliers safely and, for larger deals, learn how a letter of credit shifts risk.
7. Hire independent inspection. Choose the inspector yourself and contact them directly.
8. Start small. A pilot order limits loss.
9. Keep everything in writing. Contracts, specifications, invoices and chat records matter if there is a dispute.
10. Slow down. Fraud depends on speed. A supplier who is genuine will not mind a day for checks.

Platforms, badges and scams

Marketplaces try to reduce risk with verification, but no platform can remove it entirely, and scammers also try to move conversations off-platform to avoid any protection. Be careful if a seller asks you to leave the platform to pay or chat privately. On Comilmart, see the scam alert page for current warnings, and the Trade Assurance page and buyer protection page to understand what protections are described. Read the terms carefully, because protection usually applies under conditions, and keep your communication and payment inside the process that the platform describes.

What to do if you think you have been scammed

Act quickly. The first hours matter most. The steps below are general; the right actions depend on your country and how you paid.

1. Stop sending money and do not pay any new "fees".
2. Contact your bank immediately. Tell them it may be fraud and ask whether the payment can be recalled or flagged. Speed matters, and results cannot be promised.
3. Keep evidence: emails with full headers if possible, invoices, contracts, bank slips, chat logs, website addresses, photos.
4. Report it: to the platform where you met the supplier, to the police or the relevant fraud-reporting body in your country, and, where applicable, to your payment provider.
5. Warn your network without making accusations you cannot prove. Share facts only.
6. Check your own systems. If a scam involved email interference, change passwords and enable two-step login.
7. Get advice from a lawyer about recovery options and cross-border steps.

Be careful with "recovery agents" who contact you offering to get your money back for a fee; this is a known second scam.

Protecting your own company

Buyers are not the only targets. Genuine suppliers also suffer from fake buyers, forged payment proofs and hacked email. If you are a supplier, confirm payments have cleared before shipping, and tell customers how you will communicate bank details. The same rule applies: confirm by a second channel.

Frequently asked questions

How can I tell if a supplier is fake? Check the registration in an official registry, hold a live video call, search for the company's photos elsewhere, ask for references and confirm that the bank account matches the legal name.

What is the most common payment scam for importers? Changed bank details sent from a lookalike or compromised email address just before payment. Always confirm by phone using a number you already trust.

Are low prices always a scam? No. But when a price is far below others, ask why and verify the answer. Honest factories can explain.

Can I get my money back after a transfer? Sometimes, if you contact your bank very fast, but there is no promise. Prevention is much more effective.

Is paying by bank transfer safe? A bank transfer is traceable but hard to reverse. Use it only with a verified supplier and a split payment plan.

Should I send a deposit to get a sample? Pay for samples through a traceable method, and only after basic verification. Treat the sample as a test of the supplier, not proof of future quality.

Getting started

Write your own payment rule today: verified company, name-matched account, callback for any change, split payment. Then look for suppliers through channels with a verification process, such as Comilmart's B2B catalog, or post a request and compare offers from verified manufacturers. Comilmart connects buyers with verified sellers across Africa, and there are no listing fees to get started. This is general information; confirm legal steps with a lawyer or your local fraud authority.