In the realm of international trade, steel trade fraud cases occur frequently and are considered typical types of fraud.
Generally, fraudsters disseminate false information online, commonly on well-known trading platforms such as alibaba.com and globalsource.com. They often use highly attractive prices to entice buyers and then request buyers to settle the payment through offline methods. After receiving the payment, fraudsters typically exhibit the following behaviors:
1. They directly close their stores on the trading platform, ignore buyers' messages completely, and disappear without a trace.
2. On the surface, they ship the goods as normal. However, what buyers actually receive are either low-value items or goods that are completely different from what they ordered. These fraudsters are highly experienced. They are aware that even if buyers choose to report the case to the police in China, the police are likely not to classify such cases as criminal ones. Instead, they usually advise buyers to resolve the issue through civil litigation. Civil litigation procedures usually take a long time, and many buyers may give up on safeguarding their rights as a result.
Over the past decade, I have handled numerous steel trade fraud cases and successfully brought many fraudsters to justice. Based on my experience in handling these cases, most current steel trade fraudsters come from Shandong Province in China, especially Liaocheng City, Jinan City, and Wuxi City in Jiangsu Province. These fraud activities show characteristics of family-based and clustered crimes.
Therefore, when you find a steel seller on a trading platform, it is essential to hire a professional and qualified lawyer to conduct a detailed investigation into the seller. This can effectively avoid the risk of fraud and is crucial for protecting your rights and interests.
