Before you block out three months for a new client, you want one simple answer: is this company real, and is it the company it says it is. ClientVetter runs a company background verification from the client's website domain. It matches the business against the state registry, reads the domain and mail setup, checks the website, and screens the name against sanctions lists, then shows you where the pieces agree and where they do not.
Most payment problems with new clients start with a business that was never what it claimed. A brand new domain dressed up as an established firm, a company that was dissolved last year and keeps trading on the old name, or a buyer who uses a real company's name without working there. None of these are hard to spot once you look at the public records side by side. The hard part is finding the time to do it for every inbound lead, and that is the part ClientVetter takes off your desk.
Verification also protects the relationship with good clients. When the records line up, you can offer your normal terms with confidence instead of asking everyone for a large deposit.
Registered entity. We look up the legal name in the state business registry and show the status (active, dissolved, forfeited), the formation date, the registered agent and the state of registration.
Domain ownership age. Public domain registration records (RDAP) show when the domain was created, so you can compare it with how long the company says it has been in business.
Working website. We check that the site answers over HTTPS and that it looks like the business described in the email, not an empty page or a parked domain.
Mail setup. A real business normally has mail records on its domain (MX, SPF, DMARC). Missing records on a domain that sends you invoices or contracts is worth a question.
Sanctions. The company name and listed principals are screened against the OFAC SDN list and other public government sanctions lists.
Verification is mostly about consistency. The report puts each finding next to the claim it supports or contradicts, and every flag comes with a source link.
| Claim from the client | What the records show | How the report flags it |
|---|---|---|
| In business since 2014 | Domain registered 19 days ago | Domain much younger than the stated history |
| Active Delaware company | Registry status forfeited | Registry status needs attention |
| Large retail brand | Email domain differs from the brand's site | Contact domain does not match the company |
| Established agency | No mail records on the domain | Mail setup missing for a working business |
A single mismatch does not mean fraud. A young domain can belong to a company that just rebranded. The report tells you what was found and why it matters, and you decide how to respond, for example by asking for a deposit or a quick call from a company address.
If the lead came from an individual, switch the check to contact person mode and add their name and role. ClientVetter then looks only at that person's business role for the named company: whether the role appears on the company's own pages, public professional profiles, and the sanctions list. We never collect home addresses, criminal records, family details or anything about private life. Read the fcra compliant background check page for the full scope.
Verification answers whether the company exists. A full business background check adds reviews, public dispute mentions and evidence-backed member reports, and the payment side is covered on business credit search. If you need to look up a registry record yourself, our llc lookup guide explains what each status value means. Once a client is verified and signed, business credit monitoring keeps watching for changes.
It is hard to fake all signals at once. A registry record, an aged domain, a working site and proper mail setup together take time and money to build, which is why the report looks at all of them rather than one.
The report says so and explains the common reasons: a different legal name, a DBA, a registration in another state, or no entity at all. Choosing the state in the form helps the match.
No. It is part of every full client check. Starter includes 25 checks a month and Team includes 120, see ClientVetter pricing.
No. Checks read public records and stay private to your account.
Paste the domain and see the domain, website and mail signals in the preview, with no card needed. The full verification opens with your account.
Your full report for this client is saved to your account.