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Overseas Supplier Check Report · Guide

How do I avoid getting scammed by an Alibaba supplier?

Keep the order and payment on the platform, check that the company on the business licence is the same company you are paying, and start with a paid sample before any large deposit. Most losses come from paying the wrong account or skipping these checks under time pressure, so slow down when a supplier pushes you to pay fast or off the platform.

Free steps that cut the risk

Keep all messages on the platform. Use the platform's messaging for quotes and agreements so there is a record. If you move to email or chat apps, save copies of every message about price, specification and payment.
Pay through the platform order. Place the order and pay through Alibaba.com so it goes through Trade Assurance, the platform's built-in order protection, and is recorded. Read the current terms for what is covered. Be wary of discounts offered for paying a bank account directly.
Match the payee to the licence. Before paying, compare the bank account holder name with the company name on the licence. If they differ, get a written explanation.
Confirm any bank detail change by a second channel. Changed bank details sent by email are a common fraud pattern, including from hacked supplier accounts. Confirm the change by a video call or a message on the platform before you pay.
Check the domain and contact details. If the supplier has its own website, look up when the domain was registered with a free WHOIS search. Email from a free webmail address that claims to be a large factory deserves a question.
Start with a sample, then a small order. Pay for a sample, then a small first order. You learn about quality, packaging and communication before your exposure grows.
Arrange an inspection before the balance. For bulk orders, a pre-shipment inspection by an independent inspection company lets you see the goods before paying the balance. Agree in writing that the balance is due after inspection.
Put the specification in writing. Write down materials, dimensions, colours, packaging, labelling and the delivery date in the proforma invoice or a signed order sheet, so there is no argument about what was agreed.

Red flags

Prices far below every other quote for the same specification
Urgency, such as a price that expires today
Payee is a person or a company not named on the licence
Product photos copied from other sellers or brands
Refusal of a video call or of a sample order
Claims to make branded goods the supplier has no right to make

When a done-for-you pack helps

If the deposit is large enough that a mistake would hurt, our report checks the documents you send and public US records for you: licence and unified social credit code structure, consistency of names, address and payee, business scope, public US import summaries, US federal court dockets and public complaints, with red flags and questions to ask. It does not promise the supplier will deliver and does not check product quality.

US$59 all-in, one-time.
No subscription and no extra fees. Delivered by email within 48 hours of your order. Covers one supplier in mainland China.
See the Overseas Supplier Check Report · US$59

Questions

What is the most common way buyers lose money to suppliers?

Paying the wrong account is one of the most damaging patterns: an invoice arrives with new bank details, often from a lookalike or compromised email address, and the money goes to a fraudster. Always compare the payee name with the licence and confirm any bank change through a channel you already trust, such as a video call.

Is it safe to pay a supplier by Western Union or a personal account?

It is risky. Money transfers to individuals are hard to trace or recover, and a real company normally receives payment into an account in its own name. If a supplier insists on a personal account, ask for a written reason and consider it a strong reason to choose another supplier.

Should I use a sourcing agent instead?

An agent can help with language, visits and quality checks, but you are then trusting the agent as well. Apply the same checks to the agent: a registered company, a written agreement on fees, and clarity on whether the agent takes commission from suppliers. Keep payment to the supplier traceable to the supplier's own company.

Sources

Checked 2026-10-26. Policies change, so read the current version before you act.

Contact

Email james@bucket3.ai. We reply within one business day.
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