Having avoided the traps set by shell companies and exposed the true nature of “hodgepodge” trade shows, you might think you can now attend with peace of mind. Think again—don’t let your guard down just yet! Scammers may still be lurking, waiting for opportunities during both the exhibition setup and dismantling phases. In the following sections, we’ll continue to reveal other must-know exhibition scams that instrument and meter manufacturers need to watch out for.

Beware of “smiling tigers” at trade shows

There’s something fishy about “goods first, payment later.”

At the end of the day, companies participate in trade fairs primarily to connect with customers and secure orders—and it’s even better if they can meet buyers from overseas. However, fraud knows no nationality; the various scams that have occurred at the Canton Fair are often perpetrated by foreign con artists. Last year, a “U.S. scammer” who has been a regular at the fair was caught red-handed after being exposed by several exhibitors. This individual would routinely exaggerate the size of his company to potential clients, place large orders, then fail to pay upon receipt of goods and disappear without a trace. Since the scammer has already returned to his home country, it is extremely difficult to track him down, and pursuing legal action directly would be prohibitively expensive. As a result, many companies are left with no recourse. Fortunately, this particular con artist had the audacity to return to the Canton Fair to perpetrate another scam, which provided the opportunity to finally bring him to justice.

There is another type of scammer whose schemes are even more sophisticated, exploiting institutional rules and policies. For example, a company once met a Turkish customer at a trade show—a first-time partner. The customer was very cooperative and promptly paid a deposit; however, after the goods arrived at the port, they were slow to pick them up. Under Turkish regulations, if a buyer fails to collect the goods within 45 days of arrival, the local customs authorities will confiscate the shipment and auction it off. Without the buyer’s consent, customs has no authority to return the goods to the shipper. As a result, the buyer will pressure the supplier to offer a discount—or else simply refuse to take delivery altogether. If you were the supplier, would you rather risk losing the entire shipment to confiscation, or sell the goods at a discount to this foreign customer in order to at least recover some of the payment?

Editor’s Note: Whether dealing with domestic or international clients, exercise extreme caution when engaging in a first-time partnership. Before signing any contract, be sure to conduct a thorough due diligence on the other party’s business operations—especially when working with overseas companies. In particular, always insist on “payment before delivery” and do not take their promises or friendly smiles at face value. Many instrument and meter manufacturers are eager to export their products, which can lead them to lower their guard as soon as they meet a foreign client; fraudsters exploit this very mindset to carry out scams. Moreover, even after a deposit has been paid, remain vigilant with overseas clients. In recent years, as more and more companies expand their exports, cases of goods remaining undelivered at the destination port have become increasingly common—and the trend is only growing more serious. Instrument and meter manufacturers must thoroughly familiarize themselves with local import–export regulations before shipping products; if any issues are identified, they should raise them explicitly. Even if it means losing the deal, never allow yourself to be deceived by fraudsters.

There are also scammers waiting at the exhibition hall.

Exercise caution to prevent shell logistics.

Many employees from exhibiting organizations know all too well that trade shows are grueling, backbreaking work. After each show, they can’t wait to quickly pack up their exhibits, ship them back to their companies, and then hop on a return leg of travel to get some well-deserved rest. But if you run into someone posing as a logistics company employee, your exhibits may never make it home. In the past, numerous exhibitors have fallen victim to such shell-company logistics scams. For instance, an individual claiming to be with Deppon Express handed out business cards throughout the exhibition venue; when some exhibitors were packing up, they called this person to arrange shipment. Although the scammer did issue shipping receipts, follow-up tracking revealed no record of the deliveries, and the phone number on the card soon became unreachable. Some exhibitors did receive their shipments, but the goods had been sent via another courier using cash-on-delivery—effectively having the items picked up and the courier fee pocketed. Even worse, some scammers simply vanish without a trace, leaving exhibitors both out of money and out of their goods.

Editor’s Note: These days, many scammers have set their sights on major trade shows, posing as logistics company employees by fabricating business cards and delivery slips. During the event, they slip into the venue to hand out fake business cards to exhibitors, touting low-cost shipping services and claiming to be staff from reputable logistics firms with partnerships with the show organizers. Once they’ve packed the goods and collected the shipping fee, they vanish without a trace—turning off their phones and disappearing altogether. Therefore, all exhibitors are advised to plan their departure in advance, arrange for shipping through established courier companies, and refrain from engaging with unsolicited strangers who strike up conversations with overly enthusiastic pitches. Above all, don’t fall for the lure of “low-cost shipping.” Before handing over your goods, call the logistics provider to verify the courier’s identity and the delivery tracking number. If you suspect you’ve been scammed, report it to the police immediately.

Navigating the trade show scene inevitably involves encountering scams and getting taken advantage of; many seasoned exhibitors have only become “old hands” after repeatedly learning the hard way. Yet today, scammers are employing an ever-expanding array of tactics—“for every policy, there’s a countermeasure”—making it nearly impossible to stay one step ahead. You might read our “Scam Prevention Guide” today, only to fall into a brand-new trap set by fraudsters tomorrow. So how can instrument and meter manufacturers protect themselves? The answer remains the same: do your due diligence, seek multiple sources of advice, and never trust strangers at face value. Don’t believe in “pies falling from the sky”—more often than not, what comes down is nothing but the misfortune of being swindled.

(Source: China Instrument Network; please indicate the source when reprinting.)