Inheritance fraud


You may be contacted by a company informing you that someone very rich has died, leaving you a huge inheritance. If you respond to the fraudsters, they will demand payment of various fees - for example, for taxes, legal costs and banking fees - so that they can release your non-existent inheritance.


Loan scams


The victim of this scam will be asked to pay an upfront fee for taking out a loan. Typically, the victim will have replied to an advertisement for a fast loan and their application will have been ‘approved’ regardless of their credit history. Before the victim receives the loan, he or she is told that they must pay an upfront fee to cover insurance for the loan. Once payment is received, the victim does not hear from the company again and the loan is never received.


Rental fraud


In a typical rental fraud scenario, would- be tenants are tricked into paying an upfront fee to rent a property that either does not exist, has already been rented out or has been rented out several times over.


Work from home scams


Also known as business opportunity fraud, these scams begin with an offer to help the target become financially independent or to generate extra income by setting up a business. The scheme supposedly allows the target to choose their working hours and fit the work around other responsibilities. The work itself could involve filling envelopes, assembling products or selling goods or services through your own website.


However, any products or services you are asked to sell are worthless and unmarketable. You will be required to pay money up front to register with the


scheme, buy customer leads, set up a website, buy products to sell on, or receive an instruction manual on how to run the business.


If you are asked to assemble goods or fill envelopes, the fraudsters will find fault with your work and use it as a reason for not paying you. Many of these schemes are straightforward pyramid schemes, where you will only earn money by introducing other people to it.


Protect yourself from advance fee fraud


• Do trust your instincts. If something feels wrong, it probably is. Remember that genuine government, law enforcement agencies, law firms and financial organisations do not normally use webmail addresses such as @Yahoo or @Hotmail.


• Because letters and documents provided by fraudsters are generally badly written, look out for spelling mistakes and poor grammar.


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