China has thousands of honest, hardworking factories. But the bad actors are clever. They know foreign buyers can’t easily verify claims. Every year, businesses lose $10,000–$100,000+ to fake Yiwu suppliers. The scam usually goes like this: pay a deposit → get low-quality goods or nothing at all → supplier disappears. The good news? Most scams use the same patterns. Here are 5 red flags to spot them – and free ways to check each one. Red Flag #1 – No Physical Showroom or Fact