Factory fraud investigation for Zambia
LIFA investigated a nonexistent factory after a Zambian buyer paid a deposit, recovered $18,400 and coordinated physically audited replacement sourcing.
- The buyer
- A Lusaka, Zambia importer of agricultural tools and equipment.
- The product scope
- Agricultural hand tools and sprayers; order value $86,000; $25,800 paid as deposit.
What needed to change?
After payment, the "factory" stopped responding; site verification showed the address was a residential building; the company registry had no matching record.
How LIFA managed the work
We conducted a factory-verification investigation: registry, address, business license, and trade references.
We documented the red flags (no verifiable production site, no export history).
We coordinated the claim through the payment channel and local authorities.
We built a verified supplier shortlist with physical audits for the replacement order.
$18,400 of the deposit recovered through the payment channel; replacement order placed with a physically audited factory; zero-deposit terms negotiated for the relaunch.
From our company project database, with the work, approvals and results shown together.
What this project shows
Registry, address and production-site evidence needed to agree. The recovery result was specific to this payment channel and investigation.
Client identities, supplier contacts and confidential commercial terms are withheld from this public company record.
