Should I ask a buyer to prove who they are before sending them anything at all?

Yes, this is sensible practice, especially before sharing anything that would identify your business or its finances. Confirming who you're actually dealing with — a real name, some evidence of who they represent if it's on behalf of a company or investor group, and ideally some indication of financial capacity — helps you avoid disclosing sensitive information to someone with no genuine intention or ability to buy, or to a competitor using a vague or misleading introduction to look around.

This doesn't need to be adversarial; a legitimate buyer generally expects to identify themselves before receiving meaningful information and won't be put off by a reasonable request. Build this into your process as a standard first step rather than an exception you apply only when something feels off — ask before sending a blind profile's identifying details, and again before sharing financials, scaling the level of verification to how sensitive the information is at each stage. A Treadstone business lawyer can help you set up a consistent intake process, particularly if you're managing inquiries without a broker screening them for you.