What is a fake vessel offer?

A fraudulent proposal where scammers cite a real IMO number and claim a vessel or cargo is available for mid-voyage takeover, then request upfront fees or banking details before any verifiable proof of control is shown.

Does a real IMO number prove the offer is legitimate?

No. IMO numbers are public. Scammers often attach real IMO numbers to fake offers. Buyers must verify charter rights, cargo ownership and voyage movements independently.

Can a seller reassign a vessel mid-voyage?

In practice, no. Voyages are pre-contracted with charter parties, insurance and financing locked in. Reassignment would breach contracts, port clearances and compliance.

Fake Vessel Offer Case Study: Misuse of IMO Numbers & “Takeover”

1st Class Admin

4 weeks ago

Fake Vessel Offer Case Study: Misuse of IMO Numbers & “Takeover” Scams

Engaged by our client, 1st Class Group verified an offer claiming a tanker with EN590 was “available for takeover” mid-voyage. The seller supplied a real IMO number and a long list of documents. Our due diligence proved the offer was a fake vessel offer designed to extract upfront fees.

Proof at a Glance (3 Exhibits)

Exhibit 1 — The Offer: Screenshot of the seller’s message citing ARAGONA, IMO 9513115, STS plan, and ICPO demand.
Exhibit 2 — Voyage Log: Vessel tracking shows movements and crude oil cargo (not EN590), contradicting the claim.
Exhibit 3 — Controller/Trades: Shipping intelligence identifies Neda as controller with fixtures to majors (BP, Aramco, Sinopec) — no “takeover” possible.

Exhibit 1 — Fake Vessel Offer Sent to Our Client

The seller proposed ship-to-ship (STS) with the tanker ARAGONA, cited IMO 9513115, destination Pengerang, Malaysia, ETA late August, and demanded an ICPO with full banking details. It also promised documents like B/L, NOR and a Dip Test Authorisation within 48 hours.

Exhibit 1 – Offer message citing a real IMO number and promising impossible mid-voyage processes.

Fake vessel offer proof Exhibit 1: Message citing ARAGONA IMO 9513115 with STS procedure and ICPO request — Exhibit 1 – Offer message citing a real IMO number and promising impossible mid-voyage processes.

Exhibit 2 — Fake Vessel Offer vs. Real Voyage Intelligence

Our vessel tracking showed ARAGONA loading and discharging crude oil (Upper Zakum / Oman Blend) on a pre-booked voyage to Pengerang over the same dates. There was no EN590 cargo and no legitimate availability for takeover at any stage.

Exhibit 2 – Voyage timeline confirms crude cargo and scheduled port calls, not EN590.

Exhibit 3 — Fake Vessel Offer Claims vs. Real Controller & Trades

Shipping intelligence identified the vessel controller as Neda with fixtures involving major players (e.g., BP, Aramco, Sinopec). A vessel under such contractual control is not available for ad-hoc “takeover”.

Exhibit 3 – Real controller and fixtures contradict any claim of seller control or takeover.

Why “Vessel Available for Takeover” Is Not How Oil Trading Works

Not a floating supermarket: No legitimate seller sends cargo to open sea and starts taking random offers. Voyages are pre-contracted under charter parties with insurance and financing in place.
Ownership & financing are locked: Title, L/Cs and risk transfer are structured before loading; mid-voyage reassignment would violate contracts and port compliance.
NOR, B/L, DTA are controlled documents: Only owners/charterers or their agents can issue them—never third-party “sellers” with no privity.

The Myth of Endless ULSD Supply

Scammers frequently claim weekly spot parcels of ULSD (EN590 10PPM) of 100,000 MT or more. Reality check:

Refinery output is finite and pre-allocated to governments, majors and established traders.
Scarce allocations: large ULSD parcels are rarely assigned to unknown intermediaries.
Competing demand: Europe and Asia secure volumes months ahead—there’s no “surplus on the water”.

How the Fake Vessel Offer Scam Extracts Money

Cites a real IMO number to look credible.
Demands ICPO with banking details and pressures for speed.
Requests upfront takeover/demurrage fees, often in crypto (USDT/TRC20).
Pads the offer with jargon (NOR, B/L, DTA, ATSC) to overwhelm non-experts.

Before you send any money, validate charter rights, cargo ownership and actual voyage movements with independent sources.

🚫 Scammer Spoiler

At 1st Class Group Pte. Ltd., we rely on multiple independent verification factors — vessel intelligence, registry checks, compliance screening, and fraud pattern tracing — to identify scams quickly.

To scammers: it’s enough. These tricks no longer work. Every time a fraudulent offer crosses our desk, we expose it, warn the market, and shield our clients from losses.

Our message is simple: the buyers who engage our service are well protected. Your recycled documents and false promises do not pass our system.

📩 Need a Vessel/Cargo Offer Verified Before You Commit?

1st Class Group Pte. Ltd. — Verification · Risk Management · Deal Intelligence

Contact: Christopher Lee
Mobile: +65 8787 8953
Email: export@firstclassgroup.sg

⚠️ DO NOT CONTACT US FOR OFFERS — we provide offers to our verification and due diligence services clients only.

Internal Insights on EN590 Risk

For a deeper dive into how verification prevents losses in fuel trading, read: EN590 Oil Trading – Why Verification & Due Diligence Can Save You Millions .