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Advanced fee fraud is a type of scam which tricks the victim into sending money in return for something that is never delivered. This can range from tickets to a concert, a deposit for a vehicle, or even “tax” to access an inheritance.
Be cautious when dealing with any requests for money upfront, especially if it seems too good to be true. Remember, if something feels off or suspicious, trust your instincts. Stay informed and stay safe!
Advanced fee fraud red flags include:
Be cautious of unexpected messages, calls, letters, or emails, especially if they claim to be from genuine companies or organisations or offer incredible deals.
Scammers request money upfront, promising goods or services that they have no intention of delivering.
Fraudsters may offer money in the form of inheritances, gifts, or investment opportunities; however, they claim to need money up front to cover fees or a deposit.
Scammers pressure their victims to act quickly so they do not have time to think things through. Take time to consult trusted sources if you are feeling pressured.
Many scam messages contain spelling or grammar errors, unlike legitimate messages and letters from real organisations.
Requests for cryptocurrency payments are typically scams, as they are difficult to trace or reverse, making recovery of funds challenging for victims.
A common scam involves individuals posing as tradespeople like roofers, driveway builders, or gardeners. These rogue traders claim to notice urgent work needed on your property and offer their services. They may even offer to do the job for a lower fee, particularly if you pay cash in hand.
These scammers ask for full or even partial payment upfront, often claiming that they need the money to purchase materials or equipment. After receiving payment, the tradesperson keeps making excuses for not starting the work and eventually disappears without a trace.
Criminals may claim to have a property for rent and require victims to pay an upfront fee as a security deposit. In reality, the property may not exist, belong to somebody else, or be let out to several victims at once.
Rental scammers often target students looking for accommodation as they are less likely to have experience spotting red flags and may be relocating from a different city or country.
If you are considering a property, visit the house or flat yourself or have somebody who you trust visit the property for you. Never pay money upfront before you have made sure that the property is legitimate and as described.
West African letter scams, also known by their criminal code – 419, typically offer a sum of money in exchange for help moving money from one country to another. They may also claim they have an amazing investment opportunity and wish to share it with you.
These scammers usually contact their targets via email and offer a large reward for helping them move money from one country to another. These scams often originate in West or South Africa and are often known as “Nigerian Prince Scams” – one of the longest-running scams.
Whether the scammer is asking you to help them move money or recommending an investment opportunity, they will claim that there are upfront fees to pay. These upfront fees may start small but will be followed by more and more demands for money. Criminals rely on their victims trusting that the next payment will be the last and that the eventual gain will be worth the loss.
Work-from-home scams have existed for some time, but have become more popular since the Covid-19 pandemic. In a WFH scam, criminals advertise a job working from home, often with fantastic pay and minimal hours.
The only catch is needing to pay for equipment upfront, before starting. They will either ask for an upfront fee to order and deliver the equipment or they will claim that the victim needs to purchase equipment from a “verified” seller.
In reality, victims are either left without their money and the equipment or are sold substandard and worthless products for an inflated price.
There are very few legitimate companies which require employees to purchase their own equipment.
Psychic and clairvoyant scams involve fraudsters claiming to have important information about their victims. In exchange for this information, they ask for payment upfront.
Scammers claiming to be psychic or clairvoyant may contact their victims by email, post, phone or even in person. They offer solutions and advice about fake problems they have either invented or have researched beforehand.
Scammers can use social media, LinkedIn, or obituaries to gather information about family, work, or personal details. Be cautious about sharing too much online to protect yourself from fraud.
Inheritance scams claim to offer their victim a large inheritance from a distant relative. Scammers often pose as lawyers claiming a distant family member has left money or possessions to the victim.
To unlock the inheritance, the scammer claims that the victim needs to pay administration fees, taxes, or legal expenses. Much like other advanced fee scams, even when these fees are paid, the scammer will invent more and more fees to extract as much money from their victim as possible before disappearing without a trace.
Fraud recovery scams are common after a victim has already fallen for a scam. The criminals responsible for the initial scam will either retarget or sell the information of the victim to different criminals, who use the data to claim to be fraud recovery experts.
Unlike legitimate fraud recovery companies like CEL Solicitors, scammers contact their victims first. They may hold on to their data for years before attempting to scam them using the data they have obtained. To explain how they know so much about their victims, they may claim to have been referred by a bank or the police.
Fraud recovery scammers will often use the information gained during the initial scam to make their lie more believable, offering the bank account details, the exact amount lost, as well as any personal details gained about the victim as proof that they are genuine.
Buying from the second-hand ticket market can be risky. While legitimate platforms like Ticketmaster do resell purchased tickets, minus a commission fee, some people choose to sell tickets online using unsecured platforms.
Purchasing tickets from platforms like Facebook Marketplace, eBay or even Twitter can leave you without buyer protection, and with invalid tickets if the seller turns out to be a scammer.
Victims of ticket scams will likely have no idea that they have been duped until the day of the event, which may be months or even years after purchase.
Advanced fee scammers target their victims in a variety of ways. They may send spam emails, text messages or phone calls, or they may use online selling platforms or social media to target victims. The method used will change depending on the type of scam.
If you are contacted by somebody you do not know, offering a great opportunity that sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If you have any doubts whatsoever, do not make an upfront payment, deposit or bank transfer, and never give your financial information without verifying that the person is legitimate.
Always use reputable and legitimate platforms when purchasing anything online and ensure you have checked any property or vehicle you are hoping to buy or rent before paying a deposit.
Online scammers exploit the popularity of cryptocurrencies to steal money
Scammers often pose as banks, the police, government, or other trusted organisations
Fraudsters offer fake investment opportunities with promises of high returns
Criminals dupe victims into paying upfront for goods or services.
Online scammers exploit emotions, tricking victims into sending money
Victims unwittingly authorise payments, deceived by fake sellers in purchase scams
Individuals or businesses pay fake invoices, inadvertently sending funds to the scammer
Scammers offer work-from-home opportunities with up-front costs and withdrawal fees
Our team of recovery experts are on hand to help you get your money back.
