Lesson 4: Making verification mutual and respectful

Verification works best when both sides do it openly. Your partner may have been targeted by someone posing as a U.S. company, just as you may be targeted by someone posing as them. When you treat verification as a shared habit, it builds trust instead of eroding it.

How to make it mutual:

• Offer your details first. Share your company's registration information, website, and a verified phone number before or as you ask for theirs.

• Use "we" language. "We verify all new partners" is a policy. "We need to check you" is a judgment.

• Never refer to a country's fraud reputation. Most Nigerian businesses are legitimate, and many have strong verification practices of their own.

• Invite their process. Ask whether they have checks they would like you to complete.

Example: an onboarding note that goes both ways.

Dear Dr. Nwosu,

We verify all new partners, and we are happy to share our own registration details. Please find attached our company's registration information and the contact details of our finance team, who will confirm any payment instructions by phone.

If your company has its own onboarding steps for new suppliers, please let us know and we will complete them promptly.

Warm regards,

Kevin Walsh

**Say it this way:** "We verify all new partners, and we are happy to share our own registration details."

Keep the relationship warm. Verification is one step in building trust, not a replacement for it. Pair your checks with the same courtesy you use elsewhere: a greeting, a thank-you, and a call to welcome the partner once onboarding is complete.

If something goes wrong. If you suspect fraud, act quickly. Contact your bank at once, since a fast request may help stop or recall a transfer. Keep every email, message and record. Report suspected internet fraud to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov. Let your genuine partner know if their identity may have been misused. For legal questions, consult qualified counsel.