How to Spot a Fake Oil Deal Before It Wastes Your Time
Most oil deals you see online don’t involve real oil. You’ll find phantom sellers, buyers with no capital, and self-appointed brokers pushing credits on non-existent cargo. Before you waste time chasing contracts, learn how to identify a sham transaction—and stop it in its tracks.
No Product, No Buyer, No Deal
A valid trade means someone owns crude, and someone else is ready to buy it. Fake deals have neither.
- “Seller” has no control
—no oil, no terminal access, no loading rights.
- “Buyer” has no funds, banking line or intent—just hopes to flip to someone else.
- Brokers
dream of commissions, but everyone in the chain is a middleman with no deal flow.
Red Flags That Say “Fake”
| Red Flag |
What It Means |
| Mandates with no scope |
Real traders work under internal approvals—not vague “seller mandates.” |
| $1/bbl commissions |
Real spreads are pennies. Salaried traders don’t chase dollar commissions. |
| POP before contract |
Proof of product comes after contract and KYC. Not before. |
| CIF deals below market |
No one delivers product under market price with zero risk. |
| “International Arbitration Court, Paris” |
This doesn’t exist. It's name-dropping to fake credibility. |
| “Putin knows the seller” |
Boilerplate fantasy. Fake authority claims are hallmarks of fraud. |
How Real Traders Operate
Legitimate trading happens among refiners, producers, charterers, and trading houses. Here’s how:
- Negotiate FOB or DES terms supported by vessel bookings
- Agree on market-based spreads (e.g. $0.10–$0.25/bbl)
- Execute with standard SPA, invoice, BL—not stylised “procedures”
- Manage delivery, demurrage, inspection, and payment risk institutionally
No One Is Innocent Here
The entire pyramid is built on illusion. Sellers claim to have allocation but don’t. Buyers hope to resell nothing. Brokers pass papers without product or finance. Everybody thinks they’ll get paid. In reality, nothing closes.
Financely only works with real counterparties. If you own production, storage, or have confirmed funding, we can structure trade finance or private credit around a genuine deal. Otherwise, we don’t engage with mandates, all‑broker chains, or paper‑flips.
Submit a Legitimate Deal
Still Unsure? Ask These:
- Can you show terminal access documents verifiable with port authorities?
- Will funds be placed in escrow or via bank instrument?
- Is the cargo volume feasible for available VLCCs or Suezmax vessels?
- Do you have SPA, invoice, bill of lading—and not just PDF “procedures”?
- Who covers delivery risk, quality verification, demurrage, and price changes?
This article reflects standard practice in physical oil trading. Financely evaluates transactions backed by genuine production, storage, logistics or confirmed funding. We can’t work with speculative or unverified offers.