What is a Advance Fee Scams (419)?
How It Works — Step by Step
- Receive email/message about unclaimed inheritance, lottery win, or government grant you qualify for
- To claim the money, you must pay a small 'processing fee,' 'transfer tax,' or 'legal clearance'
- After paying, new fees appear: customs duties, anti-terrorism clearance, delivery insurance
- Each fee payment leads to another, often for months
- The promised large sum never materializes
Top Countries (Victims)
Top Platforms Used
⚠️ Warning Signs
- Unsolicited message claiming you've won something you never entered
- Request for upfront fees to receive money
- Poor grammar and generic formatting
- Sender in a foreign country asking for wire transfer or gift cards
- Story involves a dying/deceased wealthy person with no heirs
- Asks for secrecy and not to tell anyone
✅ How to Protect Yourself
- You cannot win a lottery you didn't enter
- Legitimate inheritances and government grants never require advance payment
- Never pay to receive a prize — this is always a scam
- Delete these emails and messages without responding
Real Cases from Our Database
Scam “Fund Beneficiary” email. Repost: removed identifiable information. Received the following “Fund Beneficiary” email. My hope is by pointing out the red flags this will help someone. ...
Red flags that make this email look like a advance fee scam: ...
1. The sender and reply-to addresses don’t match the bank. Legitimate banks do not conduct official banking business through free Gmail addresses. ...
2. The signature uses a completely different email domain. A real bank employee would use an email...
Scam “Fund Beneficiary” Email Received the following “Fund Beneficiary” email. My hope is by pointing out the red flags this will help someone. ...
Red flags that make this email look like a advance fee scam: ...
**1. The sender and reply-to addresses don’t match the bank.** Legitimate banks do not conduct official banking business through free Gmail addresses. ...
**2. The signature uses a completely different email domain.** A real bank employee would use an email address from the bank’s official do...
SCAM ALERT: dfl.bet — Fake Balance Scam (Advance Fee Fraud) [removed]...
Woooooo sign me up! Got this inheritance scam via fax at my company. ...
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Had a chuckle....
[US] American Airlines Lounge and their scammy business practices I had posted this in the travel subs and hopefully this helps others avoid losing a small bit of change and a headache. ...
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I had a couple of hours to kill when I was taking a flight out of Nashville and had purchased a day pass. When I get up to the check-in desk, they turn me away saying that there's construction happeni...
I have legit stalkers so I don't know? This is the thing to know beforehand. I'm not linked to him ( as in friends list) Facebook. ( For this reason) I talk to him in facebook messenger. ...
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And talk through him on Instagram vaguely.I use it mostly to send him funny instagram reels, once in a blue moon. We are following each other on instagram , though. ...
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But I never linked my facebook and instagram together. ( If you guys are trying to make that the connection , maybe that's why it happened) i...
📋 Where to Report Advance Fee Scams (419)
- FTC (reportfraud.ftc.gov)
- FBI IC3 (ic3.gov)
- Your email provider (report as spam)