Advanced-fee scam

With fanciful stories and wild promises, fraudsters will do anything to get your money. Don't fall for these advanced-fee/419 scams.

Pay now and lose

An advance-fee scam involves any scam in which con artists persuade you to give them funds in advance in the hope that you will receive something of a higher value in return. These scams can be unbelievably imaginative and involve anything the con artist is able to enact.

Some commons advanced-fee scams

• You are contacted over the weekend and informed that your domestic helper has passed away in an accident and that money is needed for funeral costs. You make an urgent payment into a given account. On Monday morning your domestic worker arrives at work in good health and is totally unaware of the scam.
• You receive an email or text message stating that you have won a lottery or a prize and need to contact someone to collect your winnings/prize. When you make contact, you are requested to make a payment into a nominated account to receive your winnings/prize. The fraudsters convince you to make a payment(s), but you never receive your winnings or prize.
• You are contacted and informed of a business opportunity that will result in huge profits if you invest money in the business; once you make the 'investment payment', you never hear from them again.
• You see an advertisement for a free puppy or kitten in a local newspaper or on the internet. When you contact the number provided, you are requested to make a payment for vaccinations or transport costs. Once you have made the payment, you are provided with a false collection address.
   

Tips on avoiding advanced-fee/419 scams

• Guard against a fraudster's usual bag of tricks. Once you know what to look for, you'll be more discerning. In particular, watch out for the following telltale signs of a scam:
  
  • It sounds too good to be true.
  • You don't know the sender.
  • The sender is an 'authority', eg a doctor or senior bank  official.
  • You are told that the offer is 'just for you', as long as you pay upfront administrative fees.
  • The request is urgent.
  • You're asked to keep the transaction confidential.
  • You're manipulated with emotional bribery, being told someone is ill, injured or dead.
  • The language of the message is overly formal, yet it contains basic spelling and grammar errors.
• Never respond to a suspicious email or contact the fraudster.
• Never pay fees upfront unless you're sure it's a reputable supplier.
• Forward any scam emails to the internet service provider from where the email originated, eg abuse@hotmail.com; abuse@yahoo.com.
• Be aware that fraudsters are now using names of reputable companies to try to con people into believing that their scams are legitimate. Always contact the company concerned to check whether it is running a promotion or offering prizes to clients.
• You could unknowingly become involved in money laundering should the funds be from an illegal source, the crime of money laundering has serious legal consequences.  

If you realise you're fallen victim to a scam, contact your bank immediately and report the incident to the police.