Business verification
How do cloned business identity scams work?
Scammers copy a real company’s name, logo, and sometimes registration numbers onto a lookalike site or invoice. Always verify domains and payment details through channels you already trust.
What this means for you
Familiar branding on an unexpected invoice or website can be a clone. Confirm payment details with the real company using a known phone number or portal.
Detailed explanation
Clones reuse logos, registration numbers, and address text while collecting payments to new accounts.
Email domains and website hostnames often differ slightly from the real brand.
Invoice fraud frequently changes IBAN or account details in otherwise plausible PDFs.
Call the company on a number from their official site—not the number on the suspicious invoice.
Warning signs and signals
- Sudden change of bank details via email
- Lookalike domains for “updated billing portals”
- Registration numbers that belong to a real firm but contact channels differ
- Urgency to pay a new account today
Practical verification steps
- Verify bank details via a known official channel
- Compare domains character by character
- Check company identity in the official register
- Inspect unfamiliar billing URLs with Fraudly
What Fraudly can and cannot verify
Fraudly cannot confirm every invoice beneficiary worldwide.
We help you assess sites and signals when identity cloning is suspected.
Key trust concepts
Verified identity and trustworthy behaviour are different
Knowing who someone claims to be is not the same as knowing they will treat you fairly.
Company registration proves existence, not trustworthiness
A registered company can still run scams, clone brands, or disappear after taking payments.
Domain age is a signal, not a verdict
A newly registered domain can be risky—and long-lived domains can still be compromised or misused.
Related guides
Reviewed: 8 August 2026
This page is educational decision support. It is not legal, financial, or emergency advice.
