Shopping Express from China, New Nigerian letters.
As in recent years of the last century and early this, the Nigerian letters They have constituted a paradigm of deception internationally, It is recently increasing at an alarming shopping fraud which they are made at a rate, we can only define as espresso, from China.
Although the existence of this fraud has several years, It really is now growing at an alarming rate, we have had knowledge, through consultations that we have made Spanish companies, three cases only last June, and each belonging to a completely different sector other, specifically to Food, parafarmacia and tourist services.
Methodology thymus
The methodology used by scammers is always the same, with very small variations:
Contacting a company either, they have located through their website, and they are presented as buyers interested in a lot of products that offer the same, asking an offer to the potential victim of their deception.
They are presented as a Chinese company the seller or as a multi-industry "trader", giving a link to a web page, they already have hung the effect (They are very generalist websites and although some of them are very well mounted, It is easy to, If we look, who they are not specialized in virtually anything and even not mention the product you want to buy) and as they receive the offer, start a negotiation very "light", asking for a small price adjustment and little else, to reach a quick agreement with the seller to sign the purchase contract, almost always by a rather high amount of money.
The next step is ask the seller to move to China, to know each other personally and sign the contract. If they get the unwary company send someone there, already have half their work done, you usually get in a hotel, rarely in an office and never in any factory, store or major installation and proceed to the signing of the contract, which is usually done with a celebration, that of course is paid by the seller and to invite a number of friends listed as different positions in the company: Director general, marketing manager, production director, international Director, Quality Manager, CFO and some others, that run a good play, often with ladies including by the seller.
Once the contract is signed, and the foreign seller happy for the good operation performed, They go to inform him of the legal necessity, in China, passing the contract by the notary to provide it with the necessary validity and the first payment, the open the letter of credit. Unfortunately this step by the notary It has a cost of a one or two percent of the total value of the contract and must be paid, In advance, by the seller, although they lend, with pleasure, to make things easier for foreign companies and can arrange to make payment of this amount to the notary, after transfer to their own current account of the amount to be paid in the event passes through the notary.
Although the seller usually doubt, the illusion of having made an important and successful sales in the Chinese market, effortlessly and amortization of travel expenses that has already incurred, as well as the possible payment of revelry led to the signing of the contract, piede you get to push risk that two percent, bringing the first business of scammers is done.
On his return to the country of origin, the seller claim the down payment and receive mail wordy buyer, explaining that due to banking regulations in China, to be able to make the payment you must open a foreign currency account (dollars euros) and since they do not have, for the moment the availability in foreign currency, even if remimbis, they will ask the salesperson is he who made a transfer of a certain amount in foreign currency, for them to open the account, remimbis change and make the down payment, which will add the number "kindly" provided by the seller.
Normally here usually ends deception, but there have been cases of vendors in addition to paying all of the above, have returned to sting When asked to by the "buyers" the payment certifications, import licenses and anything else that can occur to scammers.
Obviously not everyone enters the cloth many companies are professional enough in the international market to smell the toast from the beginning, However, at the prospect of entering a difficult market, make an important initial step and satisfactory margins Who is who is not tempted to try?, In addition there is always the possibility that the operation, however difficult it may seem, were to be true.
Indications that is a thymus
There are several signs that should always turn our alarms:
Nobody buys without having previously received samples and make a small pilot operation, ie want to close a contract, without analyzing product samples and have made a small purchase of first refusal, Enough reason to make us think that this is a hoax.
Discussions on the Chinese market, price and contract terms, They are usually long and very haggling, someone to buy us a small discount on the price offered or do not discuss the terms of payment, especially when this is in advance, It is also a clear indication that the operation will never be completed.
It will always be the buyer who wants to see the seller's premises and as elaborated, It presents and sells the product to buy, therefore they have no sense other than the buyer who comes to Spain to sign the contract and wants to be the seller who travel to China to do, also overwhelmingly contracts purchase / sale are signed without the joint physical presence of the buyer and seller. Travel flee because they propose and invite buyers to come and see us, we can even reach them to provide cover part of their expenses in Spain, normally they never come.
In China there is no pass legislation requiring commercial contracts, ordinary, by a notary and much less to indicate that is the seller who has to pay these costs "in advance".
Finally, and although it may seem incredible, timadores for the fact that the seller pays to them and their friends a good dinner and a spree, compensates them for their work to make travel to China and take over expenses, even if, logically, If you also manage to get notary costs, the opening of foreign currency account, certification and licensing invented, will be hunky-dory for them.
conclusions
All this does not mean that there are no specific possibilities of making some quick operation in the Chinese market, but it is usual that the entry into the same has to do it with patience, Hand someone who knows the market and assuming that will be incurred in previous business expenses and We shall soon reap the fruits, on the other hand they can be really helpful.
Given the bids we receive, by contacts through our web, or through friends not clearly specified, we must be on guard and in any case consult with a company, like ours, take time in the country, local employees have experienced and we can do the necessary research to not fall victim to these new Nigerian letters in form of Out purchases from China.
