Advance Fee Fraud involves a payment in advance for a promise of wealth, wills, gifts, prizes or employment. They contact their targets by mail, phone, fax, or email.
For example:
- You’ve won £30,000 cash prize or a lottery jackpot and in order to claim it, send a payment for £10 as a release fee in order for you to receive your prize.
- An implausible series of events has occurred and your help is required in getting money out of their country, which will normally involve making a series of payments.
- A clairvoyant, for a small fee, will increase your wealth, happiness, love life, professional or personal success.
- You’ve got your dream job, and have to make payments for taxes, visas, 'anti-terrorism certificates' or any reason.
Do not respond to this type of approach - you will be targeted as part of a ‘suckers’ list.
- Fraudsters will share or sell on your details to other fraudsters.
- Never send money via money transfer to someone that you have never met.
- Money Transfer is a favoured method of payment for advance fee fraud - see our page about money transfer.
- If the promise seems too good to be true, it most probably is.