Scam Alert: what we caught this week.
Fake bills of lading, forged bank instruments, impersonated refineries and advance-fee traps reach us every week. We publish the pattern and a partly hidden number, so you can recognise it without anyone's private details being exposed.
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Patterns we see again and again
"ICC 600 regulations" or UCP 700
Real letters of credit follow UCP 600, issued by the ICC. There is no UCP 700 and no "ICC 600 regulations". Wording like this is copied from template scams.
MT799 as proof of funds
An MT799 is a free-format message. It does not move or block money. Proof of funds is only real when your own bank confirms it, bank to bank.
Leased SBLC or BG
A "leased" or "monetised" standby letter of credit is a classic advance-fee trap. Banks do not rent guarantees to strangers.
Upfront "legal", "visit" or "release" fee
A fee for a factory visit, a lawyer, a licence or "release" of cargo before any proof is the most common way deposits disappear.
Payment to a third-party account
Payment to a personal, third-party or offshore account that does not match the seller's company name, or in crypto, is a red flag.
The same B/L in two deals
The same B/L, container or vessel numbers show up in more than one deal. One shipment has one set of documents.
Container number fails its check digit
Every real container number has a check digit. Fakes are often typed by hand and fail it.
File edited after it was issued
The PDF or image was changed in an editor after the bank, inspector or carrier issued it.
Look-alike company or domain
A real refinery or trading house name with one word changed, a new domain, or an offshore shell registered weeks ago.
Big producer on free webmail
A large producer writing from Gmail or Outlook, or an email domain that does not match the company website.
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We show patterns and partly hidden document numbers only. We never publish the names of companies or people unless there is a court record or an official warning and we have approved it in writing.