ADVANCE FEE FRAUD


Advance fee fraud is a crime in which fraudsters ask for advance or upfront payments for goods, services and/or financial gains that do not appear. It can take several forms.


Career opportunity scams


Beginning by offering some form of initial consultation requiring an upfront fee, these scams involve a promise to help to launch the target’s career or improve his or her job prospects. The fraudsters often claim that this fee will be used to undertake further work or research, but the benefits never materialise.


Cheque overpayment fraud


In this scam, a fraudster pays a business for goods or services with a cheque made for a higher sum than the actual value. Before it discovers that the cheque was not genuine, the unsuspecting business


reimburses the fraudster with the excess amount of money paid to it. Not only does the business lose the value of the goods or services, it loses further money because of the ‘excess payment’ it paid to the fraudster.


Fraud recovery fraud


This is when fraudsters claim to be officials from HMRC or another government agency and tell the victim that the money they have lost can be


recovered. Targeting former fraud victims, the fraudsters pose as representatives of a legitimate organisation and claim they can apprehend the fraudster and recover any monies lost - for a fee.


If you respond to their offer, they will ask for various fees such as release and administration fees. If you pay these fees, they will keep coming back to you with another fee that has to be paid, before your money can be returned.


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