Advance Fee Letters or emails

An advance fee fraud is a confidence trick whereby the victim is persuaded to part with an amount of money in the hope or expectation that they will gain a much larger sum of money.

Once engaged in conversation the victim will be duped into sending monies to a bank account, often in a foreign country, or by using a money transfer service. This is often followed up by further requests for money by developing the original confidence trick.




Examples include:

• Having won a lottery in another country, usually in Africa
• Using the victims surname to suggest that they could inherit some money from someone with the same surname who has died without leaving a will.
• You have a mutual friend who is in a foreign country and is in trouble and requires assistance.
• An organisation from a country that has had sanctions imposed needs to change funds into sterling and is willing to pay a high interest rate if you would process funds through your bank account.
• The offer of employment at large organisations abroad after the payment of a ‘processing fee’.
• The suggestion that the writer has inside knowledge of share trading/Horse racing.

More information can be found here:

• Think Jessica - a campaign against scam mail
• Consumer Direct guide to advance fee scams
• Serious Fraud Office