Source steel from China without getting scammed.
Most fraud in cross-border steel trade follows a handful of repeatable patterns. Learn how they work, verify your supplier before you pay, and know exactly what to do if something looks wrong.
Free to use. No sign-up. We never list, rank, or recommend specific suppliers.
across document, payment, quality and identity fraud
reconstructed from reported trade-fraud patterns
by observed fraud frequency and severity
no supplier listings, referrals or paid placement
Wherever you are in the deal, start here
Three common situations, three clear paths. Pick the one that matches where you are right now.
Before you pay
Run the supplier and the deal through a structured verification checklist while you still have leverage.
Start verificationA document looks off
Cross-check mill test certificates, business licenses, and banking details against known red flags.
Read the guidesYou think you were scammed
Act fast. Follow the recovery steps, preserve evidence, and report the pattern to warn other buyers.
What to do nowThe scams that cost importers the most
Know the playbook before you face it. Each entry breaks down how the scam works, its warning signs, and how to shut it down.
Not every product carries the same risk
Fraud frequency and severity vary widely by product type. Use these ratings to calibrate how much verification a given order deserves.
See full risk ratings- Galvanized & coated coil/sheetHigh risk
- Structural sections (H/I-beam, channel, angle)High risk
- Stainless steel (304 / 316)High risk
- Rebar (HRB400 / HRB500)Elevated risk
- Seamless & welded pipeElevated risk
Real patterns, anonymized
These reconstructed cases show how losses actually happen — and the single step that would have prevented each one.
Stainless that wasn't stainless
Mid five figures (USD)A buyer ordered 304 stainless against a clean 3.1 certificate. On-site PMI after delivery showed 201-series steel with high manganese and almost no nickel.
The last-minute bank email
Six figures (USD)Two days before the wire, the buyer received an email from the 'supplier' citing a tax audit and a new offshore account. The domain differed by a single letter.
Go deeper before you commit
Free, no-signup tools and references to size up the specific risk on your deal — by destination, by sourcing region, and by the numbers.
Run your next order through the checklist before you pay
A few minutes of structured verification is the cheapest insurance you can buy on a six-figure shipment.