You are 100% right to be cautious! There’s been a huge rise in fake social media wholesale accounts lately, and once you transfer that money via bank wire, it’s practically gone. Never pay a deposit until you verify their official legal status. In the UAE, every single legitimate business—whether it's onshore or in a free zone—must have a valid trade license issued by the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) or the respective free zone authority. You don't have to just trust a shady screenshot; you can verify it yourself using official government portals like the National Economic Register (NER). I highly recommend reading this practical guide on how to perform a UAE trade license check because it gives you the exact links to the federal and local emirate portals where you can type in the company's English or Arabic name. When you run the search, the system should display the license number, its current validity status (active or expired), the legal form, and the registered business activities. If the company claims to be a wholesaler but their license is expired, or if it's registered for something completely different like "cleaning services," that's a massive red flag. Also, check if the bank account name they gave you matches the exact corporate name on the official register. If they ask you to transfer money to a personal savings account instead of a corporate business account, walk away immediately!