Advance fee fraud

Some bogus organisations offer lottery or prize money to the client, and they contact the person by post, email or phone and ask them to pay an advance fee to gain access to the prize money. For example, they send messages like “you have won £100K” or “you can claim a lottery jackpot by sending a small release fee of £15.”

The target gets messages that often ask them to send the fee to claim the prize money. 

How To Spot It?

• They want you to send money through electronic media or wire transfer, or they may ask to make payment in digital currencies or through service exchange. 

• They ask to provide the bank details to receive the money and pay the processing fee for the benefit. They aim to get your details to sell to criminals. They never send any money into your account. Instead, they promise a lot that seems too good to be true. 

• They ask to pay a small refundable fee or pay some money as administrative charges, and then they may seek to get follow-up fees or other forms of advance fees.

Different types of advance fee frauds:

• Career opportunity scams

• Clairvoyant or psychic scams

• Cheque overpayment fraud

• Dating or romance scams

• Fraud recovery fraud

• Impersonation of officials

• Inheritance fraud

• Loan scams

• Lottery, prize draw and sweepstake scams

• Rental fraud

• Work-from-home and business opportunity scams

• Vehicle matching scams