Advance fee scams

Before you pay an upfront fee for anything, make sure it’s not a scam.

Discover how fraudsters offer goods or services to steal your money.

What is an advance fee scam?

An advance fee scam is when you pay a fee upfront for goods or services but don’t get anything in return. 

Fraudsters often use quick loans for an advance fee scam. 

Our video explains how they can tempt you with a loan deal.

Never pay upfront to get goods, services or to receive money until you check and know that it’s genuine.

Advance fee scam video
 

What is an advance fee scam?

An advance fee scam is when you pay a fee upfront for goods or services but don’t get anything in return. 

Fraudsters often use quick loans for an advance fee scam. 

Our video explains how they can tempt you with a loan deal.

Never pay upfront to get goods, services or to receive money until you check and know that it’s genuine.

How this scam works

Fraudsters pretend to be genuine companies

Fraudsters can make up a fake company or use a genuine company’s name.

Find independent online reviews to check if a company is genuine before you buy from them. 

Search online or use the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) website to get contact details you can trust.

Always check contact details sent to you by email or from social media, as fraudsters often add their own.

Do you have to pay a fee upfront?

The aim of all advance fee scams is to get you to pay a fee for something that doesn’t exist.

Fraudsters will explain that a fee is for something such as a credit check, tax or even to release the goods or services.

Be suspicious if a company asks you to pay a personal bank account. Fraudsters will control the account but may tell you it belongs to the company.

Once they have your money, fraudsters may either ignore you or come back to ask for more fees. 

Fraudsters use social media profiles

Social media allows anyone, even fraudsters to create profiles and post adverts for goods and services.

Their profile and posts may seem popular, making it look like a genuine account.

Sometimes an advert or post can ask you to enter personal or financial details to get more information. But this will give fraudsters a chance to contact and influence you.

Did they contact you out of the blue?

Fraudsters can contact you unexpectedly about goods or a service.

They may know details about you and your finances, but these may be stolen through a scam email or text. Or did you enter them somewhere online?

Never trust a company who gets in touch out of the blue, especially if they want you to pay a fee to get something.

Fraudsters create fake websites

Some websites are fake or copies of a genuine company’s website. Fraudsters can’t copy a company’s website address.

Find a genuine company website through: 

  • an online search engine, or 
  • the FCA website that has a list of authorised financial companies. 

Fraudsters can add links to a fake website in a scam email, text or on social media.

A secure website browser bar will have a closed padlock image and https:// at the start of its address. But these do not mean a website is genuine.

Use the free website checker on Get Safe Online. It can help you make sure a website is genuine.

Common advance fee scams

Fraudsters create different kinds of advance fee scams. These are a few of the most common ones to avoid.

Property rentals

Fraudsters advertise properties that they don’t own.

They use areas that are in demand or lower rental prices to attract attention.

Make sure an advert is genuine. Always visit a property for a viewing before you pay any money.

Job vacancies

Fraudsters know that a job vacancy offering higher than normal wages or other benefits will attract many people.

Only a fake job will ask you to pay upfront to apply or to get the role.

Money refund

Never trust any company or person who offers a service to recover your money for a fee.

Fraudsters can claim to help you get a refund for past payments, money lost to a scam or a bad investment.

They may even tell you an unknown relative has died and left you some inheritance.

How to check and report a company

Learn about other scams and how to protect yourself

Protect your passwords

Fraudsters will try to guess passwords to your online accounts.

How to create strong passwords

Protect your devices

Do you know how to keep your devices safe?

Learn about device safety

Social media scams

Did you know fraudsters set up fake profiles just to steal money?

Stay safe on social media

Passcode scams

Fraudsters can call to ask you for a passcode.

Protect your passcode

Investment scams

Fraudsters pretend to be genuine companies and advisers.

Avoid investment scams

Scam emails and texts

Fraudsters use scam emails and texts to steal your details.

Avoid scam messages

Learn about the latest scams

Fraudsters are always looking for new ways to try to steal your details and money. Discover which scams are common right now.

Go to latest scams

Have you been targeted by fraudsters?

Contact us right away if you think you've been scammed. We can then guide you on what to do next.

Contact us now

Stay scam safe

Discover how to spot and avoid scams, and how to report fraud.

Protect yourself from fraud

Stay scam safe

Discover how to spot and avoid scams, and how to report fraud.

Protect yourself from fraud