Fake Suppliers on Email
Fraudsters pose by email as legitimate-looking suppliers offering goods or services, take payment or deposits, and then fail to deliver anything.
Part of: Fake Supplier Scams
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Fake supplier scams use email to approach businesses with attractive offers for goods, materials, or services that never arrive. The criminal builds a convincing commercial identity — branded emails, a professional website, plausible catalogues — to win an order and an upfront payment.
Email suits the scam because procurement and supplier outreach routinely happen there. An unsolicited offer or a response to a buying enquiry feels like normal business development, and the formality of a written quotation lends an air of legitimacy that masks the absence of a real company behind it.
How this scam works on Email
The fake supplier makes contact by email, either cold-pitching competitive prices or replying to a published procurement request. They provide quotations, terms, and references that appear professional, and may point to a website built specifically to support the deception.
Once a business places an order, the supplier requests payment upfront or a substantial deposit, often citing manufacturing or shipping costs. They may accept a smaller first order to build trust before targeting a much larger one.
After payment, deliveries do not arrive, are incomplete, or are of worthless quality, and the supplier becomes unreachable. The branded website and email addresses are abandoned, leaving the business with a loss and no genuine entity to pursue.
Common red flags
- An unsolicited supplier offer with prices well below the market norm
- Insistence on full payment or a large deposit before any delivery
- A company that resists video calls, site visits, or verifiable references
- Recently created websites or email domains with little history
- Pressure to commit quickly to secure a limited offer
- Vague or inconsistent answers about company registration and address
How to protect yourself
- Verify the supplier's registration, address, and trading history independently
- Start with a small order and confirm delivery before scaling up
- Use payment methods that offer some buyer protection where possible
- Request and check trade references with other genuine customers
- Be wary of prices that are far below the market rate
- Confirm contact details against an independently found source
How to report it
- Report the fraud to your national consumer protection or trading-standards body
- File a report with your national cybercrime or fraud reporting centre
- Notify your bank or payment provider to attempt recovery of funds
Frequently asked questions
How can I tell a genuine new supplier from a fake one over email?
Verify the company independently: check official registration records, confirm a physical address, and contact trade references you find yourself. Start with a small test order and avoid large upfront payments to an unproven supplier.