Independent verification means checking a request through a source the person asking doesn't control. Calling the number in a suspicious email isn't independent. Checking a website an investment promoter sent you isn't independent. Asking the same person for more documents isn't independent either — you're still only hearing from them.

The point is to step outside the conversation and confirm the facts through a route you trust.

If the request is from family or a friend

Call them on a number you already have. If they don't answer, contact another family member or someone else you trust. Ask something only they'd know from shared experience, rather than something a stranger could find on social media — voice cloning can make audio sound convincingly familiar, so a recognised voice shouldn't be your only check.

If the request is from a bank, Xe, or another organisation

End the call or close the message. Open the official app or type the website address in yourself, and use the contact details you find there — not the caller ID, the sender's display name, or a link the message gave you. A genuine organisation will never mind you ending a call to check independently.

If payment details have changed

Contact the person or business using details you already hold, not the ones in the change request. For a supplier, speak to a contact you already know. For a property or high-value purchase, verify the seller's ownership and authority to receive the money. Treat any change made shortly before a payment is due as higher risk.

If you're considering an investment

Check whether the firm is authorised, using the contact details on the official regulator's register — not the ones the firm gives you. Search for warnings or clone-firm notices. Screenshots, online reviews, celebrity endorsements, group-chat testimonials, and a trading dashboard the promoter controls aren't proof of anything. For a significant amount, or an unfamiliar product, get independent financial advice.

If you're buying online

Use the platform's own payment and messaging tools rather than moving outside them. Check how long the seller's been active, compare their prices with others, and ask to inspect high-value goods before you pay. A photo or copied ID document isn't proof the item exists or that the seller owns it.

The simple rule

Find the organisation or person yourself. Use a channel you already trust. Verify the exact request and the exact payment details. If anything's still uncertain, don't proceed.