A term sheet is not proof of capacity. It is a sales document. Scammers know that people treat dense PDFs as authority. Reading one well means looking for what is missing as much as what is printed.

Field rule If walking away is framed as “losing the opportunity of a lifetime,” that is sales pressure — not process.

Checklist

1. Parties. Do legal names match registries? Are signatories identifiable — or only first names and Telegram handles?

2. Economics. Returns or leverage that never appear in real markets without an explanation that survives a second question.

3. Conditions. Fees before independent verification. NDAs used to block counsel. “No bank contact until after payment.”

4. Language. Template English with broken jurisdiction clauses, mixed currencies without logic, or bank names used as decoration.

5. Exit. Can you slow down without abuse? Serious desks allow process. Scam desks punish hesitation.

Authority is not a PDF. Authority is verification that survives outsiders.

How Scam Wire uses term sheets

As exhibits. Side-by-side with chats, invoices, and public records. The goal is not drama. The goal is a trail a reader can follow.