If the site lists a contact email address, try making up a name and sending an email to that address with a traceback request. If the traceback lists a virtual user redistribution, your contacts may not exist.
If the contact number always goes to voicemail,run away!
In the whois list, try the tracing function, if the listing is say, in Singapore, but the company is, say, Chilean it should be questioned. As would a Hong Kong based company using a German server.
Is the site static?, and are the references untraceable is a classic, but I would also question vague references.
If they list a building address, call the building and check its home page to see if they are a tenant. A financial service company claiming trillions of dollars of access should be listed on the tenant list.
If they list sponsored events, you should expect details, (Name, date...) and the events should be traceable in the local media, for example "title sponsor of a charity ..." is a fairly nondescript choice even if it should still be traceable.
Select text from the site and google the string, if it shows up on other sites,run away. In my case,I found the compliance text draft elsewhere, but too late.
Try any links in the site and see if they work and if you can find the company via the links. In the mining case the links don't work correctly and the links to the mining society don't list the company as a member.
Google press releases, and see if they ever show up in local media. I wonder if PRlog filters its input?
Last but not least, ask for a prospectus via surface mail. If they refuse, run away. Apparentlyi if the site is registered via godaddy or similar, it appears that they risk US Postal fraud investigation.
These are real examples and I have lost and learned too late I didn't know about whois when I started, and have learned the rest
If the contact number always goes to voicemail,run away!
In the whois list, try the tracing function, if the listing is say, in Singapore, but the company is, say, Chilean it should be questioned. As would a Hong Kong based company using a German server.
Is the site static?, and are the references untraceable is a classic, but I would also question vague references.
If they list a building address, call the building and check its home page to see if they are a tenant. A financial service company claiming trillions of dollars of access should be listed on the tenant list.
If they list sponsored events, you should expect details, (Name, date...) and the events should be traceable in the local media, for example "title sponsor of a charity ..." is a fairly nondescript choice even if it should still be traceable.
Select text from the site and google the string, if it shows up on other sites,run away. In my case,I found the compliance text draft elsewhere, but too late.
Try any links in the site and see if they work and if you can find the company via the links. In the mining case the links don't work correctly and the links to the mining society don't list the company as a member.
Google press releases, and see if they ever show up in local media. I wonder if PRlog filters its input?
Last but not least, ask for a prospectus via surface mail. If they refuse, run away. Apparentlyi if the site is registered via godaddy or similar, it appears that they risk US Postal fraud investigation.
These are real examples and I have lost and learned too late I didn't know about whois when I started, and have learned the rest