If you’ve lost money to an advanced fee scam, you’re not alone — and with the right support, you may be able to get your money back. We’re here to help guide you through the process and protect you from further harm.
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A look at the impact of our work, set against the growing reality of advanced fee fraud today.
£193M+ recovered and back in the hands of those who were exploited by fraud.
11,000+ people across the UK have turned to us for support after falling for fraudulent scams.
£58.4M lost to advance fee scams in 2025 - a 65% increase.
Advanced fee fraud tricks people into paying money upfront for goods, services, or opportunities that never arrive. This could be anything from concert tickets, a deposit on a vehicle, or even supposed taxes to access an inheritance.
The scammer promises a reward but fails to deliver.
Be cautious if you’re asked to pay money upfront, especially if the offer sounds too good to be true. Trust your instincts — if something feels wrong, it probably is. Here are some common red flags to look out for:
Unexpected emails, calls, letters, or messages claiming to be from real companies or offering unbelievable deals.
Scammers want money before providing any goods or services.
Scammers promise a prize, loan, inheritance or big reward, but say you must pay a fee first to release it. The fees often keep growing.
Scammers rush you to make decisions without time to think or ask for advice. Always take your time and consult someone you trust.
Scam messages often contain errors that genuine organisations would avoid.
Payments in cryptocurrencies are hard to trace and recover, making them a favourite tool for scammers.
Fraudsters pose as tradespeople — like roofers, builders, or gardeners — offering urgent work and asking for full or partial payment upfront, often for materials. Once paid, they delay the work or vanish. Always check credentials, get quotes in writing, and never pay the full amount upfront.
Criminals advertise properties for rent and ask for a security deposit before you’ve seen the home. Sometimes the property doesn’t exist or is rented to multiple victims at once. Always visit a property or ask a trusted person to inspect it before paying anything.
These scams offer large sums of money in exchange for help moving funds or investments but require upfront fees that keep increasing. These are often called “Nigerian Prince” scams. Never pay fees for such offers.
Scammers advertise high-paying jobs with minimal hours but ask you to pay upfront for equipment. You may get nothing or faulty goods in return. Legitimate companies rarely ask employees to buy their own tools.
Fraudsters claim to have special knowledge and ask for payment upfront to solve fake problems. Be careful about sharing personal details online, and never pay for psychic advice or clairvoyant readings.
Scammers pose as lawyers telling you that a distant relative left you an inheritance. They ask for fees, taxes, or legal costs upfront — fees that keep increasing until the scammer disappears. Always verify such claims independently.
After falling victim to a scam, you might be contacted by fraud recovery scammers pretending to help. They often use your personal details to sound convincing. Only trust verified experts. CEL Solicitors will never ask you to pay upfront for a fraud and scam claim.
Buying tickets through unofficial platforms can lead to invalid tickets and lost money. Use trusted sellers like Ticketmaster for resales to avoid losing out.
Scammers use many ways to find victims: spam emails, phone calls, text messages, social media, and online marketplaces. They adjust their approach depending on the scam type. If you’re contacted by someone you don’t know offering an opportunity that sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Never pay upfront without verifying who you’re dealing with. Always use reputable platforms and personally check any property, vehicle, or item before handing over money.
If you’ve been caught in an advance fee scam, tell your bank straight away and report it to Report Fraud. These scams are carefully designed to seem real, so falling for one doesn’t mean you were careless. If your bank won’t refund you, our specialist fraud team may be able to help you claim your money back. Just tell CEL.
Speak to our friendly team today. You are not alone, and you may have a case.
No honest firm can promise that. What we can do is look at what happened and tell you whether we think you have a claim. Our fraud team looks at every payment you made to the scam. If your bank could have done more to protect you, we’ll make a formal complaint to them for you. If they say no, we can take your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service, a free, independent service that settles complaints between customers and financial businesses. You have nothing to lose by enquiring, because we can only take on cases we believe have a good chance of success – and we will always be honest about this.
Yes. You can complain to your bank yourself. If you’re unhappy with their answer, you can take your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service. Both are free. Our free DIY guide shows you how, step by step. If you’d rather not do it alone, our fraud team can handle it all for you, on a no-win, no-fee basis.
When you’re dealing with a legal issue, whether it’s a scam, a housing dispute, or a case of professional negligence, it’s important to know you’re in safe hands.
We understand that many of our clients come to us after being misled, mistreated, or let down. It’s only natural to feel cautious when choosing a law firm to support you.
CEL Solicitors is a fully regulated law firm. We don’t ask for any upfront payments, and we work on a no-win, no-fee basis wherever possible, meaning you won’t pay us a penny unless your claim is successful.
You can confirm that CEL Solicitors is genuine by checking our credentials:
We are authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). Our SRA number is 633955.
CEL Solicitors is a trading name of Cheshire Estate and Legal Limited (company number: 10370954).
You’ll find us listed on the SRA’s official Solicitors Register – just click the SRA badge at the bottom of this page or visit the SRA website.
We’re also listed on the Law Society’s ‘Find a Solicitor’ tool. This is a free and trusted way to check legal professionals.
If you’re ever unsure, just tell CEL. We’ll help you verify everything for yourself.
“No-win, no-fee” means you won’t pay us anything unless we win your case.
There are no upfront costs and no hidden charges. If your claim is unsuccessful, you won’t owe us a penny. If we win, our fees will be taken from the compensation we recover for you — and we’ll explain all of this clearly before you sign anything.
It’s a simple promise: if you don’t win, you don’t pay.
At CEL Solicitors, we help clients recover money lost to a wide range of Authorised Push Payment (APP) frauds. These scams trick you into authorising payments to fraudsters, often through highly convincing stories or pressure tactics. Common types include:
Investment scams: Promises of high returns through trading, cryptocurrency, or other ‘opportunities’ that turn out to be fake.
Impersonation scams: Fraudsters posing as trusted organisations like banks, the police, HMRC, or utility companies to get you to send money.
Romance scams: Scammers build trust by pretending to be a romantic partner, often overseas, before asking for financial help.
Crypto scams: Fake cryptocurrency investments or exchanges designed to steal your funds.
Advanced fee fraud: Requests for upfront fees to release non-existent loans, prizes, or inheritances.
Purchase scams: Payment for goods or services that never arrive, such as vehicles or electronics.
Invoice scams: Fake or altered invoices sent to businesses or individuals to divert payments.
Job scams: Fraudulent job offers requiring you to pay fees or provide money upfront.
If you’ve been targeted by any of these scams or similar ones, you’re not alone — and we’re here to help you take back control and recover what you’ve lost.
Many people feel this way, especially if they made the payment themselves. But scammers are skilled at lying, and being scammed doesn’t mean you were careless. Even if your bank has refused to refund you, you may still be able to get your money back. Our fraud team knows the rules banks have to follow, and we can challenge their decision for you. If you’re worried about fault, just tell CEL.
Most of our claims are complaints against banks. First, our fraud team looks at every payment you made to the scam and checks whether your bank should have done more to protect you. If so, we make a formal complaint to your bank for you. If your bank says no, we can take your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service, a free, independent service that settles complaints between customers and financial businesses. We’ll keep you updated at every step.
Once we have all your evidence, our Bank team makes a formal complaint to your bank. This stage usually takes 8 to 12 weeks. If your bank says no, our Ombudsman team can take your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service. This can take anywhere from a few months to around two years. Every case is different, and we’ll keep you updated.
Yes, through our Crypto Investigation Report. This is a separate service from our standard fraud and scam recovery claim. It uses specialist software to show where your crypto went, and the report can be used as evidence to support a police investigation or legal action. A Crypto Investigation Report is not the same as a crypto scam claim. If you lost crypto to a scam, you may also be able to make a claim on a no-win, no-fee basis.
Your claim will be handled by our specialist fraud team. They are experts in bank and Financial Ombudsman Service complaints. They are not solicitors, but they work inside CEL Solicitors, a law firm regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Qualified solicitors oversee the team’s work, reviewing files regularly and stepping in when a case needs closer attention, including complex crypto cases. Your day-to-day contact will always be a member of our fraud team.
Your loss is the money you paid to the scam, minus anything you got back. Any “profit” or balance shown on a scam website or app is usually not real money, so it isn’t part of your loss. Payments between your own accounts can count too, if they were part of the scam.
Get in touch now to see how we can help you recover from fraud.