Almost every scam has the same weak point: it needs you to pay before you have verified anything. Slow that moment down and most of them fall apart. The goal here is not paranoia — it is a short, boring routine you run on autopilot before sending money to anyone you have not met and trusted for a long time.
Start with the name and the handle
Search the exact name, business name and social handle in quotes. Add words like 'scam', 'review', 'refund' and 'complaint'. You are looking for two things: whether a real footprint exists, and whether other people are describing the same pattern you are about to walk into. A brand-new account with a stock-photo avatar and no history is not proof of fraud, but it is a reason to go slower.
Reverse-image-search the profile photo and any 'proof' images they send. Stolen photos and recycled screenshots are the cheapest tools a scammer has, and they are the easiest to catch.
Verify the money details, not just the person
The account you are paying into matters as much as the person asking. Be suspicious when the name on the bank account, IBAN or crypto wallet does not match the person or business you think you are dealing with. 'Pay my colleague / my supplier / this personal account instead' is one of the oldest redirection tricks there is.
For a company, confirm it is actually registered and that the trading name, licence and contact details line up. A legitimate business will not be damaged by you checking; a fake one is counting on you not bothering.
Test how they react to friction
Say you would like to pay a small amount first, use an escrow or buyer-protected method, or meet in person. A genuine seller shrugs and agrees. A scammer suddenly finds urgency: the deal expires tonight, someone else is about to pay, the price only holds if you send now. Manufactured urgency exists to stop you doing exactly the checks on this page.
Run the name past a watchlist
Finally, check whether the name, handle, number or account already appears in reports other people have filed. That is the entire reason Dubai's Dirtiest exists — so the person who gets targeted next can see the flag before they pay, instead of finding out afterwards.
None of these steps is difficult. Done together, they turn 'I hope this is fine' into 'I checked, and here's what I found.'