1. Bank Account Name Discrepancies
One of the most dangerous signals is when the recipient bank account name does not match the company name listed on the proforma invoice, or when the supplier requests wire transfer to an offshore personal account in Hong Kong or Singapore.
Legitimate Chinese manufacturing corporations maintain domestic corporate bank accounts registered under their exact Chinese legal entity name.
2. Reluctance to Allow On-Site Verification
When you inform a supplier that your local China sourcing representative will conduct a routine factory walk-through before order confirmation, watch their response closely.
Legitimate manufacturers welcome verified buyers. Traders posing as factories often make excuses about renovation, confidential proprietary client projects, or strict visitor prohibitions.
Need on-the-ground verification for your suppliers?
Our China team conducts physical factory audits, license checks, and pre-shipment inspections.