How to Check If a Company Is Real
Scammers frequently impersonate real companies — or create convincing fake ones with professional websites, official-looking letterhead, and persuasive documents. The appearance of legitimacy is not the same as legitimacy. Here is how to verify independently before you sign, pay, or share personal information.
Risk Signals to Look For
- !The contact information in the document doesn't match what you find on the company's official website when you search independently.
- !The domain name or email address is slightly different from the real company — for example, "companyname-support.com" instead of "companyname.com".
- !There is no verifiable physical address, or the address listed in the document doesn't match public business records.
- !The company is not listed in your state's business registry or in relevant professional licensing databases.
- !Online searches reveal a pattern of complaints, warnings, or reports from other people with similar experiences.
How to Independently Verify a Company
- 1Search for complaints: Search the exact company name along with words like "scam," "complaint," "review," or "fraud" on a search engine to see what others have reported.
- 2Check the Better Business Bureau: Visit bbb.org to search for the company. Look at their rating, complaints filed, and how they were resolved.
- 3Look up the state business registry: Search for the company in your state's Secretary of State business registry. If the company claims to be registered but doesn't appear, or if details don't match, that is a verification gap.
- 4For financial firms, check FINRA and the SEC: Use FINRA BrokerCheck (brokercheck.finra.org) or the SEC's Investment Adviser database to verify financial advisers and investment firms.
- 5Upload documents to VerifyBefore: If you've received a document from the company, upload it to VerifyBefore for a structured review of risk signals and company verification gaps before you take any action.
Helpful Public Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a real company be impersonated by a scammer?
Yes. Public records can confirm that a company exists, but they cannot confirm that the person contacting you is authorized to act on behalf of that company. Scammers regularly impersonate real businesses, government agencies, and financial institutions. Always verify contact details by looking up the organization independently — using their official website, a phone book, or a trusted directory — rather than using information provided in the document or message you received.
What is the Secretary of State business registry and how do I search it?
Every U.S. state maintains a public registry of businesses registered in that state. You can usually search it by visiting your state's Secretary of State website and searching the company name. If the business claims to be registered but does not appear, or if the registration details don't match what the company has told you, that is a verification gap worth investigating.
What should I do if I can't verify a company?
Pause before taking any action. Do not sign any documents, make any payments, or share personal information until you can independently confirm the company is legitimate and the person contacting you is authorized to represent it. Ask someone you trust — a family member, attorney, or financial adviser — to help you investigate before you respond.
Why does VerifyBefore check company information as part of its review?
VerifyBefore checks whether company names, registration claims, and contact details in a document can be independently verified. Unverifiable company information is a risk signal — it doesn't prove a document is fraudulent, but it is a verification gap that warrants further investigation before you sign, pay, or share personal information.
Received a Document From a Company You're Not Sure About?
Upload it to VerifyBefore. We'll check for risk signals and company verification gaps — free, before you sign, pay, or share personal information.
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