How do I know if a seller's price is unrealistically low because the material is stolen or misrepresented?
Short answer: Compare the offer against current market pricing for that specific grade — a price significantly below what multiple other sellers are asking for comparable material is the single biggest red flag, especially combined with pressure to move quickly, reluctance to provide standard verification, or vague answers about where the material came from.
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Browse Listings →Why price is the first signal worth checking
Legitimate sellers generally price close to prevailing market rates, because they have no reason to undersell material they can otherwise get fair value for. A price that’s dramatically below market isn’t automatically fraudulent, but it’s the fastest, easiest check you can do before investing more time.
What compounds the risk
A too-good-to-be-true price combined with urgency (“must sell today”), reluctance to answer questions about sourcing, or refusal of any standard verification steps together paint a much clearer picture than price alone.
What to actually do
Ask directly where the material came from, and listen for a plausible, specific answer versus a vague one. If something feels off, it’s reasonable to simply pass on the deal — a genuinely good price on legitimate material will still be a good price after you’ve done basic checks.
How ScrapTrade Makes This Easier
Verified sellers on ScrapTrade have been through a business verification step, which doesn’t eliminate all risk but does raise the bar compared to an anonymous, unverified listing found elsewhere.
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