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Edited and draft documents passed off as real

Draft bills of lading presented as past shipments, lab reports with a pasted company name, "past performance" with the names blurred. How to catch them.

Copper Supply2 min read

Not every fake document is forged from nothing. Many start as real documents from someone else's trade, and are edited or presented as something they are not. These are taken from cases shared with us in 2025, with details changed.

The draft bill of lading

A seller sent a bill of lading as proof of a past shipment from Dar es Salaam to a port in Asia. Across the page was a large watermark: DRAFT.

A draft bill of lading is prepared before loading to check details. It proves nothing about a shipment. Other signs in that case: seal numbers on a document marked draft, an almost empty freight section, and a number format that didn't match the shipping line's real bills.

Check: the shipping line can confirm whether a bill of lading number exists. Ask your freight forwarder to check it.

The lab report with a pasted name

A certificate of analysis showed perfect results of 99.99% copper, on a university laboratory letterhead. The client name was in a slightly different size and sharpness from the text around it. The laboratory contacts on the page were free-mail addresses. The date was four months before it was presented as "recent".

Check: call the laboratory using contact details from its official website and ask it to confirm the report number, date and client.

"Past performance" with names blurred

A seller asked for proof of past trades sent bills of lading and invoices from years earlier, with the shipper and consignee names covered. If the names are hidden, the document proves only that someone, somewhere, once shipped something.

Check: ask for documents where the seller's company appears as shipper or exporter, with dates and quantities you can verify.

Government certificates on coloured paper

Several "export certificates" in circulation are printed on plain pink or blue paper, carry five or more overlapping stamps, and have handwritten entries in fields that should be typed. The same template turns up with different company names and quantities. See fake certificates of origin.

How to protect yourself

  • Ask for current documents tied to this lot.
  • Verify key documents with the issuer, using contact details you find yourself.
  • Be suspicious of screenshots, photos of screens, blurred areas and pages with mixed fonts.
  • Run documents through a document check before you rely on them.

This guide is general information from our experience in the copper trade. It is not legal, financial or tax advice. Markets and rules change, so check current conditions before you rely on anything here.

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Edited and draft documents passed off as real · Copper Supply