Fraud Case Study 17- Invitation Letter Fraud

Case Description:

A few days ago, I met a buyer who asked about the prices of our products. After working out the prices, I replied to the inquiry. The buyer accepted the quoted prices and told me they would like to visit our company for further cooperation. They asked for an invitation letter so they could get the required business visa.

I sent an invitation letter and was surprised when the buyer said a company-issued invitation letter was not accepted in their country. The buyer asked for an invitation letter from my local government instead.

After spending a lot of time preparing documents for my local government offices in Shenzhen, I finally got an invitation letter issued by the Shenzhen government and sent it to my client. Once they received the invitation letter, they stopped replying to my emails. 

Case Analysis:

Method

Some fraudsters use an export&import company to run illegal immigration rackets. The company will pretend to be buyers and ask to visit the supplier' factory to negotiate more business or inspect production facilities. For this, they will ask for an official invitation letter from the manufacturer. When they receive the invitation letter, it will then be used to apply for a visa for an illegal immigrant.

Avoid Fraud
1. If you have a new buyer, don' apply for an invitation letter from the government. Your company will be responsible for the actions of the buyer when they are in your country.

 2. At the very least, confirm the company you are dealing with is genuine before submitting the application to your government. If buyers cannot provide a company website and registration certificate, there is probably something wrong.

3. Pay special attention to buyers from Nigeria, Togo and Benin. If your buyer is from one of these countries, please thoroughly check the credibility of the company. In addition, check the age and position of your buyers. Take care with very young or low ranking buyers.