Storage spoofing: how to spot fake tank storage websites
By the Vanguard Verify desk · Published 2026-11-03 · Updated 2026-11-03
Short answer: storage spoofing is the Rotterdam term for selling tank storage capacity or product stock that does not exist, usually through fake websites that copy real terminal companies. Before you rely on any terminal, tank storage receipt or "dip test", find the terminal's official website yourself, check the domain against the storagespoofing.nl whitelist and blacklist, and confirm the deal with the terminal through contact details you found independently.
What storage spoofing is
The Port of Rotterdam Authority defines storage spoofing as fraud that sells non-existent storage capacity and inventories of products at terminals, mainly in the Rotterdam port area. Criminals build websites that impersonate well-known tank storage companies, using public company information, copied content and forged documents. Two groups are harmed: traders who pay for deals that do not exist, and real port companies whose names are misused. The Port Authority reports that in some cases tank trucks have even arrived at terminals to collect products that do not exist.
The scale is reported by the Port Authority itself: damage to traders of at least €10 million a year (a lower bound based on known payments), and deals with a total offered value of €2.5 billion reported to the task force in 2025.
Who is fighting it
| Year | Step (per the Port of Rotterdam Authority) |
|---|---|
| 2017 | Task force set up under Ferm Rotterdam (now Ferm Seaports), with an awareness campaign |
| 2020 | Cooperation with SIDN, the .nl domain registry, to take fraudulent .nl websites offline |
| 2024 | The Commodity Traders (TCT) joined to help with due diligence on deals and documents |
| 6 Feb 2026 | Port of Rotterdam Authority and VOTOB (the Dutch tank storage association) signed an agreement to continue and expand the task force |
The working group (Port Authority, VOTOB, TCT and the Seaport Police) runs storagespoofing.nl. It keeps a blacklist of fraudulent websites (more than 1,250 domains, according to the Port Authority) and a whitelist of legitimate companies in the Rotterdam port area with the official websites it knows.
How to check a terminal or storage offer, step by step
- Get the full terminal name and website from the seller. A real offer names the terminal. If the seller will not name it until you pay or sign, stop.
- Check the storagespoofing.nl blacklist. If the website or email domain is listed, treat the offer as fraudulent.
- Check the whitelist. If the terminal company is listed, compare its official website with the one you were given, letter by letter. A different spelling, an extra word, a hyphen or a different ending (for example .com instead of .nl, or the reverse) means you are not talking to that company. The whitelist is not complete, so a company that is missing is not automatically suspicious; it just means you need the next checks.
- Check the legal entity. Look up the terminal company in the Dutch Chamber of Commerce (KvK) register and its LEI on GLEIF. Note the registered address and compare it with the website and documents.
- Check the domain age. A WHOIS lookup (for example ICANN Lookup) shows when a domain was created. A domain registered weeks ago for a terminal that has operated for decades is a warning sign.
- Contact the terminal independently. Call the switchboard or use the email from the official website you verified, not from the documents. Ask the terminal to confirm the tank number, product, quantity and storage client named on the receipt. See how to verify a tank storage receipt.
- Check every email in the deal. Fraudsters often write from lookalike domains or free webmail. See how to verify a supplier email.
- Pay only through a secure structure, such as a documentary letter of credit or payment after the terminal itself confirms the transfer of title.
Red flags
- The website or email domain is on the blacklist, or differs from the whitelist entry for the same company.
- You are asked to pay up-front fees for "tank rental", "injection", "TSR" or "dip test" access before any product is verified.
- Emails come from Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail or Live accounts, or replies go to a different address. Terminal operator VTTI, for example, lists free webmail, unofficial phone numbers, up-front payment requests and urgency among the warning signs in its public fraud alert.
- The "terminal" only answers through WhatsApp or a personal mobile number.
- Large monthly quantities from an unknown seller at prices far below published market levels.
What a real terminal does and does not do
| Real terminal | Spoofed "terminal" |
|---|---|
| Contracts storage with its own client under a storage agreement | Asks an unknown buyer to pay storage or injection fees to a third party |
| Answers on its official switchboard and domain | Uses a lookalike domain, free webmail or messaging apps |
| Allows tank access only under its own safety rules | Sells "dip test" access through seller-nominated people |
| Is registered at the address on its website | Shows an address that does not match the registry |
If you have found a fake site or paid
Report the website to the working group through the contact page on storagespoofing.nl. If the site uses a real company's name, inform that company through its official website. If you have paid, contact your bank at once to ask for a recall, and report to the police.
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FAQ
What is storage spoofing?
Storage spoofing is the Rotterdam term for selling tank storage capacity or product stock that does not exist, usually through fake websites that impersonate real terminal companies.
How can I check if a tank storage website is real?
Check the domain against the storagespoofing.nl blacklist and whitelist, compare it with the company's registry record (KvK) and LEI, check the domain age, and confirm with the terminal using contact details you found independently.
Who runs storagespoofing.nl?
A working group of the Port of Rotterdam Authority, VOTOB (the Dutch tank storage association), The Commodity Traders and the Dutch police.
Is a company missing from the whitelist a scam?
No. The whitelist is not complete. A company that is not listed needs the other checks, such as the registry, domain age and an independent call to the terminal.
Vanguard Verify is run by Vanguard Trade Capital Goods Wholesalers DWC-LLC, Dubai South, Licence 14282. This answer is general information, not legal or financial advice.