EN590 Scams: Bot Farms, Fake Buyers, Unqualified Brokers
EN590 Scams: Bot Farms, Fake Buyers, and Why Discounts Do Not Exist
Thousands of unsolicited EN590 emails hit inboxes every day. The pattern is the same. A “seller” claims below-market diesel, a “buyer” appears on cue, and brokers are pushed to pay upfront verification or tank fees to secure a margin that is not real. Real fuel trading is priced off benchmarks, controlled by title and terminals, and financed against inventory and receivables. Random intermediaries do not receive cheap barrels. This page explains how the supply chain actually works, how traders make real money, and a short checklist that filters fiction in minutes.
How real diesel supply moves
- Supply sources: refineries, integrated majors, national oil companies, and top-tier traders. Product flows to term offtakers and established wholesalers.
- Specs: EN 590 is 10 ppm sulfur diesel for Europe. Specs are standard, not exotic and not “special allocations”.
- Contracts: term or properly papered spot with clear Incoterms, title transfer point, and inspector of record.
- Payment: confirmed LC, cash against documents with history, or structured prepay to known names. No one ships on Telegram screenshots or PDF promises.
- Operations: terminals control tanks, access is granted by the titleholder. Inspections are booked through terminal systems by the party holding title.
How price is set in the real market
Price equals a benchmark average plus or minus a differential for time, place, and quality. In Europe this is Platts or Argus quotes for Gasoil 10 ppm, often CIF NWE for seaborne trades or local basis for inland. The differential captures freight, storage, timing, and operational costs. A blanket claim like “minus 15 percent to Platts, any port” is not commercial reality.
| Component | What it means | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Benchmark | Platts or Argus Gasoil 10 ppm, defined window | Front month, M-1, or dated average |
| Differential | Premium or discount vs benchmark | Location, timing, spec, operational costs |
| Final price | Benchmark average ± differential | No magic discounts to strangers |
Why no one sells EN590 “below market” to random brokers
- Every credible buyer already bids the same benchmarks. If real discount barrels appear, majors and top traders lift them first.
- Margins live in spreads and logistics, not in a fantasy unit price. Traders earn on time, place, and quality, not on fairy tale percentages.
- KYC and compliance block strange procedures. Terminals and inspectors will not entertain off-protocol requests from unknown emails.
- Balance sheet and track record decide access. If you cannot post credit or prepay under normal terms, you are not in the queue for cargo.
What structured commodity finance actually funds
- Prepay and pre-export: advance against production or liftings, secured by title and proceeds, with strict release conditions.
- Inventory finance or repo: title sits with a lender or SPV, releases occur against payment, collateral monitored by inspector and terminal control.
- Borrowing base: advance against eligible inventory and receivables with daily or weekly reconciliations and controlled accounts.
- Collateral management: inspector bookings, stock reports, and terminal acknowledgments that tie title to money flows.
Money follows title and control. If a “seller” cannot prove title in tank and control of release, there is no financing and there is no cargo.
How real traders hedge and lock profit
- Flat price hedging: ICE Gasoil futures offset outright moves. The book stays flat to headline price.
- Time spreads: buy prompt and sell forward in contango or reverse in backwardation, supported by storage and carry math.
- Basis and cracks: trade Gasoil vs Brent crack, location differentials like ARA vs Med, and inland basis. Profit sits in basis, not in email discounts.
- Freight control: charter at rates that preserve netback. Voyage timing and demurrage management are real P and L drivers.
- Tax and routing: legal structuring across jurisdictions. Paperwork is tight because banks and customs read it line by line.
The EN590 bot-farm script
- Scrape broker emails from forums and old mailers.
- Blast “allocations” with big discounts and recycled refinery names.
- Mirror scams from the “buy side” to fake a market. Create urgency, set deadlines.
- Demand upfront “inspection” or “TSA” fees to unlock POP or tank access.
- Rotate documents and phone numbers. Reset and repeat next week with new domains.
Two fake sides, one real wallet in the middle. That wallet belongs to the broker who pays a fee to chase an imaginary margin. It feels like a circus because it is one.
Red-flag checklist
| Signal | Why it fails | Walk-away rule |
|---|---|---|
| Gmail, Proton, throwaway domains | No corporate footprint, no filings, no bank references | No KYC, no deal |
| “Minus 15 to Platts CIF anywhere” | Benchmarks set price, majors lift true discounts instantly | Ignore and delete |
| POP before contract or KYC | Title documents are not shared to cold leads | Request KYC or end the call |
| Upfront inspection or tank fees to intermediaries | Titleholder books inspections, terminals bill counterparties directly | Never pay fees to prove someone else’s title |
| MT799 SBLC templates, non-operative BG | Bank instruments are not toys, real desks ask for workable terms | Insist on standard CAD or LC terms or exit |
| “Friend at SGS will arrange dip test” | Inspectors take orders from titleholder and terminal, not brokers | End the conversation |
| No named terminal or storage operator | If tank cannot be verified, cargo does not exist | No terminal, no trade |
Practical filters you can send by email
Broker sanity rules
- Never pay to prove someone else owns cargo. Ownership is proven by documents and terminal control, not by your wallet.
- Do not forward spam to your clients. One bad forward and you lose credibility with real buyers and banks.
- If the profit relies on a below-market unit price, the profit is imaginary. Work on spreads and structure or walk away.
- Keep a short list of inspectors, terminals, and lenders you can call. Reality checks end fantasies quickly.
Want real fuel supply and finance, not spam
We only run bank-grade processes with title, terminals, and inspectors that can be verified. If your file is real, we will structure supply and finance to match.
Request a ProposalThis page is intended to help readers identify fuel fraud patterns. It is not an offer to sell or a promise of funding. Any trade or finance mandate is subject to KYC, AML and sanctions screening, credit approval, terminal confirmation, and executed documentation.
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