Short answer: you cannot verify a bill of lading by looking at it. It is a carrier's statement that it received goods, so the check is whether the carrier's own records and the ship's movements match it, reached through channels you found yourself. The carrier may answer only its customer or a bank. Where the amount justifies it, have loading supervised, and agree a payment and cargo-release structure before shipment that does not rely on an emailed scan.
The check in five steps
- Reach the carrier independently. Use the carrier's website and switchboard found through your own search or an existing relationship, never a link, phone number or tracking site supplied with the documents.
- Query by bill of lading number. It should return the same containers, vessel, voyage and ports as the document.
- Test each identifier. Container numbers follow a fixed format with a check digit; a ship has a permanent IMO number.
- Ask the carrier in writing through its customer channel, via the shipper, consignee or your bank, whether it issued this bill, on this date, for these containers.
- Decide what a mismatch means before you look. A mismatch or missing record calls for a pause and direct clarification with the carrier before payment; a newly issued bill may not yet appear in every tracking system.
What a bill of lading is, and who is promising what
A bill of lading is issued by the carrier or its agent to the shipper after the goods are received. It functions as a receipt and evidence of the contract of carriage; a negotiable bill can also serve as a document of title. Holding one does not, in every transaction, prove ownership of the underlying goods (ICC, legal status of electronic bills of lading). Parties, consignee patterns and release are covered in reading a bill of lading; this article covers whether the document is true.
The carrier's promise is narrower than many buyers assume. Under the Hague-Visby Rules as enacted in the United Kingdom, a bill is "prima facie evidence of the receipt by the carrier of the goods as therein described". Once the bill has been transferred to a third party acting in good faith, the carrier cannot prove otherwise against that party, although carriers often qualify descriptions they could not check. The shipper is deemed to guarantee "the marks, number, quantity and weight, as furnished by him"; the carrier need not state particulars it "has had no reasonable means of checking" (legislation.gov.uk, Carriage of Goods by Sea Act 1971, Schedule, Article III). Other regimes (the Hague Rules, the Hamburg Rules, national statutes) differ in detail. In a sealed container, then, the description of the goods is usually the shipper's.
So a genuine bill proves at most that a carrier received something described in a certain way. A forged bill proves nothing about anything.
Pattern one: a document for cargo that does not exist
The simplest fraud is a bill for a shipment that never happened, used to collect an advance or a balance. The International Maritime Bureau (IMB), part of ICC Commercial Crime Services, reported a trade to buyers based on fraudulent documents in which "container numbers were invalid and the vessels said to be carrying the steel did not exist" (ICC, new trading frauds threaten banks and buyers, 23 April 2006). In the same report containers were "loaded onto vessels different from those officially stated on the bill of lading". Under documentary credits, IMB has described false shipping documents presented "to generate funds for the sellers before the shipment is made" (ICC CCS, IMB warns against pre-financing scam, 13 August 2012).
A good forgery gives nothing away on the page. What it cannot easily fake is the carrier's database and the ship's position.
Pattern two: a genuine document over different cargo
Harder to catch: the carrier really issued the bill, but the goods are not what the contract requires. Common versions are:
- lower grade, short weight or other product in sealed containers the carrier never opened;
- a real bill for someone else's shipment, re-used or altered;
- a bill from a non-vessel-operating carrier (NVOCC) that gives weaker rights than it appears to.
IMB has warned about NVOCC bills in a "switched" bill arrangement and said such bills, as presented, "are effectively worthless as collateral" because they would not give the bank delivery rights (ICC CCS, IMB warns of suspect switched bills of lading scheme, 2 December 2015). Carrier checks catch the re-used bill; they do not catch substitution inside a sealed box. That needs someone at the loading point.
Pattern three: one shipment financed twice
Here the cargo exists, but the same bill, or copies of it, supports finance from more than one bank or payment from more than one buyer. Hapag-Lloyd notes that "issuing multiple originals of a Bill of Lading or altering the information on it without authorization are also theoretically possible" (Hapag-Lloyd, February 2024).
Banks have built shared registries against this. In Singapore, the banks' Trade Finance Registry launched a Duplicate Financing Check, and in February 2025 added a Bill of Lading Genuineness Check that lets participating banks retrieve data from carriers automatically, replacing what the release calls "a manual process that involves banks calling or sending emails" (ABS, TFR and SGTraDex media release, 12 February 2025). It is open to participating banks, not to traders, and started with one ocean carrier (ONE) and one data aggregator (Portcast). Many markets have no comparable shared registry; ask your bank what it uses. A buyer's defence is structural: do not pay against copies, and hold the full set of originals or have your bank hold them.
| Pattern | What is false | Check that catches it | Check that misses it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Never loaded | The whole shipment | Carrier record by B/L number; vessel movements | Looking at the document |
| Different cargo | Contents or history | Loading supervision; carrier record for re-use | Carrier record for sealed contents |
| Financed twice | Who has claims on it | Originals held by you or your bank | Tracking; inspection |
Asking the carrier: what to ask, and who can ask
Carrier practice varies by line and by country. Some confirm details only to the shipper, the consignee or notify party, or a presenting bank; some refer every enquiry to their customer. Do not assume a carrier will confirm anything to you, and treat an unusually eager "carrier" as a warning.
Practical routes, in order of strength:
- Through your bank. Banks that pay against documents make these checks; the ABS release describes them phoning or emailing carriers. Ask whether yours will verify before paying.
- As consignee or notify party. If you are named, ask the carrier's office at the discharge port whether it holds a matching booking.
- Through the shipper. Ask the seller to authorise the carrier, in writing, to confirm details to you. Refusal is information.
- Through the IMB. IMB states that, as part of its investigations, it "conducts due diligence on all trade documents, including bills of lading" (ICC CCS, shipping and freight), and has invited anyone uncertain of a bill's authenticity to contact it (ICC, IMB investigates false bills of lading, 2 November 2011). Some of its services are for members.
Ask closed questions: did you issue bill X on date Y, for containers A to E, on vessel V, voyage N, from port P to port Q? Get the reply in writing from a carrier email domain you have checked.
Container, vessel and booking checks, and their limits
The carrier's own tracking. Maersk's tracking page, for example, accepts a "Bill of Lading, container or parcel tracking number" (Maersk, tracking). Query by the bill of lading number first: no result, or different containers, requires direct clarification before payment. Some carriers let customers download a document labelled "Verify Copy" from their portals; Maersk's support page describes that feature (Maersk, Verify Copy). The label is not a promise that the cargo contents were inspected, nor a substitute for confirming the final issued bill and release status.
Reach that page yourself. IMB has reported fraudsters' websites, one bearing "a remarkable resemblance" to a major liner company's, that confirmed shipments which did not exist, and advises that "total reliance on website confirmations should be avoided" unless the carrier is well known and the site's origin verified (ICC CCS, IMB warns against fake cargo tracking websites, 28 November 2012). Free third-party tracking sites aggregate carrier data; they are a convenience, not the carrier's record.
Bill of lading numbers usually begin with the carrier's own prefix. MSC, for instance, announced in 2018 that its bill prefix would change from MSCU to MEDU, both valid during the changeover (MSC, customer advisory, 17 April 2018). A prefix that does not match the carrier named is a question to ask.
Container numbers follow ISO 6346: a three-letter owner code, an equipment category letter, six digits and a check digit. The Bureau International des Containers (BIC) runs the register of owner codes, with a lookup and a check digit calculator (BIC, container BIC code lookup). A failed check digit or an unregistered owner code is a strong signal; a valid number only proves the number is possible.
Vessels carry a permanent IMO number, which "would remain unchanged upon transfer of the ship to other flag(s)" (IMO, ship identification number scheme). Check that the ship exists, suits the cargo and called at the loading port around the on-board date.
The limit: all of this proves that a container moved, not what was inside it.
Inspection changes the economics
The only check that sees the goods is someone at the loading point: an inspector sampling, tallying and watching the container sealed, with container and seal numbers recorded. The fraudster's cost changes from forging a PDF to shipping real goods. Scope, sampling and what a certificate covers are separate questions; a certificate is itself a document that needs checking with its issuer. Record container and seal numbers from the inspection and match them against the bill and the document set behind one shipment.
Why an original in your hand differs from a scan
A negotiable paper original may be required to control delivery under the applicable carriage and release arrangement; a scan does not itself establish control, and the same scan can be emailed to several buyers or banks. Some shipments instead use sea waybills, surrendered bills or electronic release, so check the actual carrier procedure before assuming originals are the key. That is why "balance against copy B/L" can be risky, and why a bank handling stipulated documents under a credit is a different arrangement from paying against an image; see why banks refuse documents for how presentations are examined.
Electronic bills change this: a controlled eBL platform is built so that only one party holds the bill at a time. How eBLs and electronic release work is explained in the article on reading a bill of lading; for verification, check an eBL on the platform that holds it, never from a PDF.
Worked example: one container too many
Hypothetical teaching example. All parties, numbers and prices are invented; CU = currency units.
A buyer contracts 250 t of hulled sesame at 1,600 CU/t, 400,000 CU, with 30% (120,000 CU) paid in advance and 70% (280,000 CU) due "against copy documents". The seller emails a bill showing five containers of 50 t each, a real vessel on a real voyage, and a sailing date.
The vessel exists and called at the loading port that week, and all five container numbers pass the check digit. The buyer then makes one more query: the bill of lading number on the carrier's own website, found by search. It returns four containers. The fifth number appears on the same site, but under a different booking to another destination.
| Check | Result | Proves |
|---|---|---|
| Vessel and voyage | Match | A ship sailed |
| Container check digits | All valid | Numbers are possible |
| B/L number on carrier's site | 4 of 5 containers | This bill's contents differ from the copy |
| Fifth container | Other booking | 50 t, 80,000 CU, not evidenced |
The buyer holds the 280,000 CU and asks the seller to have the carrier confirm the booking to the buyer's bank. Either a corrected bill is confirmed, or the problem surfaced while the money was still in the buyer's account. Only the last query showed it.
Common mistakes
- Treating a clear, well-formatted scan as evidence.
- Using the phone number, email or tracking link printed on the documents.
- Checking container numbers and vessel but not querying the bill of lading number itself.
- Paying a balance "against copy B/L" with no originals or bank control.
- Assuming a carrier will confirm to you, then trusting whoever does.
Limits and what to recheck
This article describes patterns and checks; it does not assess any document or party. Whether the seller itself exists is a separate check. The legal references are UK; other jurisdictions and carriage regimes differ. Carrier tools, channels and prefixes change, bank registries such as Singapore's are local, and the IMB warnings cited are dated examples. Recheck current carrier practice, your bank's procedure and, in a dispute, advice from a shipping lawyer. If money has already gone, follow the first steps in payment redirection fraud in trade. This is general information, not legal advice.
FAQ
How do I verify a bill of lading? Through the carrier, not the document: query the bill number on its official site, reached yourself, and seek written confirmation through your bank or a named party.
How can I tell if a bill of lading is fake? Often you cannot by eye. Invalid container check digits, a ship that did not call at the port, or a bill number the carrier cannot confirm after direct enquiry are strong signs; a clean-looking document proves nothing.
Can I track a shipment by bill of lading number? Usually yes, on the carrier's own website, where tracking shows container movements. It does not show what is inside the containers.
What is double financing? Using one shipment, or its documents, to obtain finance or payment from more than one party. Agreeing who controls the originals or a controlled eBL, and asking the bank about duplicate-financing checks, reduces exposure but is not a guarantee.
Next step: related reading
Before agreeing to pay against copies, read documentary collection or letter of credit to choose a payment structure in which banks handle original documents.
Resources
- ICC Commercial Crime Services — IMB warns against fake cargo tracking websites (28 November 2012) — https://icc-ccs.org/imb-warns-against-fake-cargo-tracking-websites/ (accessed 23 September 2026)
- ICC Commercial Crime Services — IMB warns against pre-financing scam (13 August 2012) — https://icc-ccs.org/imb-warns-against-pre-financing-scam/ (accessed 23 September 2026)
- ICC Commercial Crime Services — IMB warns of suspect switched bills of lading scheme (2 December 2015) — https://icc-ccs.org/imb-warns-of-suspect-switched-bills-of-lading-scheme/ (accessed 23 September 2026)
- ICC Commercial Crime Services — Shipping and freight — https://icc-ccs.org/shipping-freight/ (accessed 23 September 2026)
- International Chamber of Commerce — IMB investigates false bills of lading (2 November 2011) — https://iccwbo.org/news-publications/news/imb-investigates-false-bills-of-lading/ (accessed 23 September 2026)
- International Chamber of Commerce — New trading frauds threaten banks and buyers (23 April 2006) — https://iccwbo.org/news-publications/news/new-trading-frauds-threaten-banks-and-buyers/ (accessed 23 September 2026)
- The Association of Banks in Singapore — Trade Finance Registry and SGTraDex Bill of Lading Genuineness Check, media release (12 February 2025) — https://www.abs.org.sg/docs/library/trade-finance-registry-and-sgtradex-further-strengthen-trade-finance-risk-mitigation-with-real-time-bill-of-lading-genuineness-check.pdf (accessed 23 September 2026)
- Hapag-Lloyd — Bill of Lading: the key document in shipping (February 2024) — https://www.hapag-lloyd.com/en/online-business/digital-insights-dock/insights/2024/02/what-is-a-bill-of-lading.html (accessed 23 September 2026)
- International Chamber of Commerce — The legal status of electronic bills of lading (2018) — https://library.iccwbo.org/content/tfb/pdf/the-legal-status-of-e-bills-of-lading-oct2018.pdf (rechecked 20 October 2026)
- Maersk — Tracking — https://www.maersk.com/tracking/ (accessed 23 September 2026)
- Maersk — How can I request a verified copy of a bill of lading — https://www.maersk.com/support/faqs/how-can-i-request-a-verify-copy-bill (accessed 23 September 2026)
- MSC — New MSC bill of lading prefix MEDU (17 April 2018) — https://www.msc.com/en/newsroom/customer-advisories/2018/april/new-msc-bill-of-lading-prefix-medu (accessed 23 September 2026)
- Bureau International des Containers — Container BIC code lookup — https://www.bic-code.org/bic-codes/ (accessed 23 September 2026)
- International Maritime Organization — IMO identification number scheme — https://www.imo.org/en/ourwork/msas/pages/imo-identification-number-scheme.aspx (accessed 23 September 2026)
- legislation.gov.uk — Carriage of Goods by Sea Act 1971, Schedule (Hague-Visby Rules) — https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1971/19/schedule (accessed 23 September 2026)
