Advance-fee scam

Fictitious promises such as profits or inheritances, which are usually sent by email. If you reply to such a message, some reason is given to request an advance payment such as fees, legal fees or taxes on profits.

The offers and promises made in such emails are fictitious and are merely intended to provide a credible backdrop against which the fraud can be carried out. For example, if message message is replied to, an advance payment is requested under any pretext (fees, legal fees, profit tax, ...). This is why it is called "advance-fee scam". Promised services do not exist. At the same time, the personal data potentially provided (name, address, passport number, etc.) could be misused by the attackers as a false identity for further scams. Fraudsters are constantly coming up with new scenarios to lure recipients into reactingrashly.

Last modification 22.02.2021

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