Verification guide

How to verify a payment request before you send money

This page is a practical verification checklist for people facing payment pressure, unclear documentation, or identity uncertainty.

Return to the main warning page What evidence to preserve after a payment dispute

What this page is for

What this is

A factual checklist for testing whether a payment request is supported by identity, documentation, and a traceable business purpose.

Who this is for

Anyone being asked to send money for a deal, service, investment, shipment, or urgent personal/business story.

What to do next

Pause the transfer, verify everything independently, and keep records before making any payment decision.

Verification checklist before payment

1. Verify identity outside the conversation. Confirm the person, company, phone number, email domain, and public footprint from independent sources.

2. Match the payment details. Make sure the account name, bank information, wallet, or transfer destination matches the documented party you are dealing with.

3. Ask for written terms. Require a contract, invoice, receipt path, and clear explanation of what the money is for.

4. Test the business claim. If the pitch involves gold, PPP programs, cross-border funds, or special access deals, require documents that can be independently checked.

5. Stop on pressure or inconsistency. A request that becomes urgent, vague, or emotionally manipulative is a reason to slow down, not speed up.

High-risk signs that should change your decision

Documentation gaps

No clear invoice, no signed terms, unclear business identity, or changing payment instructions.

Pressure tactics

Deadlines, secrecy, guilt, or claims that the opportunity disappears unless you send money immediately.

Unverifiable stories

Claims about special programs, off-book transactions, or cross-border opportunities without traceable proof.

Public payment safety warning homepage

What evidence to preserve after a payment dispute