Fake Oil Mandates: How to Vet EN590 & Jet A1 Sellers Properly

hleles84
Oct 19
2 min read

Fake oil mandates remain one of the biggest obstacles in the EN590 and Jet A1 market. They appear legitimate at first glance—professional language, recycled SGS reports, signatures, and PoAs—but collapse the moment anyone demands real verification. These imposters waste time, trigger compliance risks, and disrupt genuine opportunities.

Below is a breakdown of how fake oil mandates damage the industry—and how traders can block them before entering a deal.

Why Fake Oil Mandates Are a Serious Market Threat

Fraudsters posing as seller mandates exploit three things:

Poor verification processes
Document recycling
Trader urgency and trust-based introductions

The impact is more than embarrassment:

Legitimate buyers lose credibility by forwarding unverified offers
Time-sensitive deals stall for weeks in circular messaging
Refineries, tank farms, and banks become suspicious of all intermediaries
Compliance exposure increases—particularly with sanctions and AML screening

Red Flags of Fake Oil Mandates

Here are the signs we see most often when analysing EN590 and Jet A1 opportunities:

H2: Fake Oil Mandates with No Corporate Trail

Free email domains instead of corporate accounts
No digital footprint of the company or individuals involved
Fabricated office addresses or unverifiable switchboard numbers

H2: Recycled or Edited Documents

Identical SGS certificates used across multiple deals
PDF metadata showing previous owners or unrelated companies
DTA, TSR or PoA signed by ex-employees or unverifiable directors

H2: Unrealistic Procedures and Demands

“Non-negotiable” procedures with upfront fees
No willingness to allow buyer-side KYC or callbacks
Missing contract references or vessel allocation proof

How to Verify a Real Mandate

A genuine mandate can be verified in under 72 hours using structured due diligence:

✅ 1. Corporate Identity Validation

Confirm legal registration, UBOs, and sanctions/adverse media status.

✅ 2. Proof of Mandate Authority

Validate PoA lineage, board resolutions, or refinery/tank-farm issued confirmations.

✅ 3. Document Integrity Checks

Verify the SGS, DTA, or TSR references directly with the issuing inspector or terminal.

✅ 4. Channel Authenticity

Check corporate email, SSL certificates, domain registration, and switchboard callback numbers.

Case Example: Recycled SGS & Fake TSR Exposed

A buyer approached us with what seemed like a credible EN590 seller mandate. Our investigation uncovered:

A PoA signed by someone who left the company in 2021
An SGS document with metadata matching two previous fraud cases
A TSR claimed from a tank farm that had no record of the parties

Within 48 hours, the client disengaged and prevented a reputational and financial loss.

How GeoEnergy Advisors Stops Fake Oil Mandates

We use AI-assisted due diligence and compliance-led verification to confirm:

Corporate identity and authority chain
Document authenticity at hash and metadata level
Tank farm and refinery confirmation
Payment and procedural legitimacy
Sanctions and AML risk status

If the mandate is real, we validate and preserve the opportunity.If it’s fake, we provide a written Do Not Proceed alert with full evidence.

Final Word: Verification Is Cheaper Than Cleanup

Too many traders still rely on “gut feeling” and WhatsApp intros.

In today’s regulatory climate, those assumptions are liabilities. If you’re sent a mandate—verify it before you forward it.

✅ Need a mandate checked?Send the pack to: kyc @geoenergyadvisors.co.uk